You Forgot Poland! Pt. 2

Last night's debate wasn't quite as clean-cut victor-wise as the first, but it was quite telling. Bush paced around the stage and seemed angry; he tried to cut this act with humor (and lies about his reported income from a timber company - but that was three years ago, so I don't expect him to remember those little details with all the hard work he's got to do). He was surprisingly strong - or at least sufficiently confusing - on domestic policy, but Kerry looks more like a leader, while Bush looks more like a spoiled child used to getting his way. Especially when he got so angry at Charlie Gibson.

And, of course, he mentioned Poland.

Something that has always disturbed me about Bush is that he's never gotten or done anything based on personal qualifications. He went to Yale because Daddy went to Yale. Daddy pulled strings to get him into the Air National Guard instead of going to Vietnam. Daddy's friends bailed him out of several failed business ventures. Perhaps worst of all, he traded Sammy Sosa to the Cubs! He ran for governor with the help of Daddy's friends, and he ran for president as a figurehead with people like Rove and Cheney behind him because - and I believe this more and more - he can be easily manipulated. This creates an attitude of entitlement. I didn't like it when it was the neighbor kid whose parents bought him all of the cool toys because they had the money to spoil him rotten and the lack common sense not to. I didn't like it in college when the people who were obviously not there to study - whose parents went to Drury so they were there to drink and fuck and have a good time - interrupted my learning experience. More than anything, that attitude of entitelment that nepotism creates raises my ire, and the more Bush parades around in these kinds of forums, the more it rises to the surface.

On a less-personal level, Bush's treatment of the last question, whether he has made any mistakes, is quite revealing as well. Not only does it carry with it the attitude I've outlined above, one of entitlement, but it really does show that he's living in a fantasy world. I have to wonder, with the carefully screened and scripted campaign events, Bush's responses in the two debates, and things Bush has said along the way, if his handlers really are keeping him isolated. If true, it would be sad. And very very very scary.

Just judging on last night's performance, I would certainly want Kerry representing me.