Bush on the world stage...

I suspect I'm the only non US citizen in this discussion here so I'll add in my 20 cents for a bit of international flavour. Point One - Yes, the world does judge America by her leaders. Presidents are especially vulnerable to scrutiny - hey, when you bill the guy as "Most POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD," everyone is going to be interested in what he does - and given that Bush has a keen desire to show the manhood he didn't show in Vietnam - he's more interesting to the reading public than most Presidents. Point Two - No matter how awful we (as in the rest of the world) may find American politicians, we actually like American people. I think the world secretly admires the fact that Americans continue to have a powerful spirit of "Can Do" optimism whoever is in power. PJ O'Rouke says it best when he describes the rest of the world as a 13-year old boy and America as a 21 year old HOT CHICK ;)

Great response, Tiger! I can't give you best response since it was a reply to a response...or whatever you call it! Annie

Yes, I couldn't agree more that these guys are just people like we are and everyone has a screw-up now and then...we wouldn't be human if we didn't. So for anyone who's in the public eye there's probably going to be at least one "big goof" that everyone remembers...if they're in the public eye ALOT and for an extended period of time there will probably be more than one, maybe more than two or three major mispeaks or dumb comments or questions, what have you. Bush fills up a book of them just about every day! David Letterman never seems to run out of excerpts from his speeches to show every night! Sadly, unless it's something you can't possibly ignore that's what we usually do anymore with Bush, he flubs up so often it's no big surprise. Annie

It is sad because right after 9/11 we had the whole world on our side. I'll never forget how on the Emmy Awards a few weeks after that, they showed a montage of all the tributes of vigils that had been held in various countries, including a huge candlelight vigil held in, of all places, Iran. Now we're hated by those who very recently loved us! I have a friend who visited Australia a year or two ago and he said much the same thing as you said. Another family friend who was born and raised in the U.S. but has lived in England since the late 1960s said Bush is the most hated U.S. President ever. Do you ever watch Letterman when he does the "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches"? That's so funny but at the same time is SOOOOOO pathetic. Only 500 (give or take a few) days left of this nightmare! Annie

I think the point is Bush has shown the uncanny ability to turn people against the USA. After September 11, the whole world was sympathetic to America. It was, if I remember correctly, the French who lead the rest of NATO into declaring solidarity with the USA after September 11, 2001 - a case of an attack of one member of NATO being attack against the whole of NATO. Yet, in spite of having so much moral authority and good will of the world - he managed to blow it. Because the French were honest enough not to get involved in Iraq...what does Bush do...he renames a chip - Freedome Fries as opposed to French Fries. Not even the biggest Anti-Semite could disagree with the fact that Bush and his team are....incompetent to the point of damaging American interest with very step that they make.

Hey, we have freedom of speech in America and in my opinion that extends to someone in my discussion...LOL...go right ahead and criticize the president, everyone else does! It made me sick to hear of him saying that about Iraq. I have two nephews who will be going there in a few months and I've been worried sick since I heard about it. We have no business over there and most of the world knows it. Thanks for your comment. Annie