I’ve been thinking hard about this bailout issue. And the problem I havve, and most Americans I would guess, is that I just don’t have the knowledge nor the data to really understand the crises. It's beyond most of us. In cases like this, I have to rely on my elected officials to ask the tough questions, to grill the experts, to debate the issues fully, and be 100% sure of the decision. Then, those leaders have to tell me the decision and make me believe it’s the right move.
After 9/11 I had that kind of faith in President Bush. He squandered it. In 2003, I had the faith in President Bush, and I was fooled. As much as I want to have that faith today, I just can’t. He has been to fast and loose with the truth that I just can’t believe even if I want to. So, where does that leave is?
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What we really have here is a crisis of confidence in our leadership. We need a leader to look at all the data, to listen to all the experts, to ask the tough questions, and then to make a decision on a direction. The problem is, the last time our leader did that, he got it wrong. He got it so wrong, that most American’s have a lack of faith in the president’s decision making ability. Bottom line is, when the president says "our entire economy is in danger" I can’t know if Bush really believes it, or if he even has the capacity to get to that decision through any kind of a rational process. We have a void of leadership.
Bush’s approval rating is less than 30%. Clearly most American’s have a problem with his decision making ability. We just can’t know if he is right and he can’t sell us on his ideas. He has no credibility. This is why he should have been impeached, but that’s for another day. What do do now? If Bush feels so strongly about the decision to fund a $700 billion bailout, he should tell us that this is the best thing for the country. Then, to ensure people are on board and to signal his commitment, he should resign the presidency (and Cheney resigns the VP spot too). Then, Speaker Pelosi would become president and she will appoint a predetermined republican VP that will be approved by the senate and the house. This change would eliminate the democrat’s majority in the senate until a replacement was named for Pelosi. Thus, we would be left with the need for true bipartisan cooperation to get a deal passed. Then, and only then, would the American public have confidence in a decision on the bailout.
President Bush has played Chicken Little too many times. He might be right this time but we haven’t the knowledge or faith to overcome our doubts about his decision making skills. His resignation is the only way to get beyond this.