As the long national nightmare comes to an end...

[Dinner]

What are your memories of the failed Presidency of George W. Bush?

For all the undeserved bashing of Obama here is a reminder of the **** Bush and the Republicans put the world through.

[a.kitman]

criticizing bush for waiting a few minutes on 9/11 is ****ing retarded. if sarah palin was a democrate that would be all she ever talked about. thats how retarded it is.

[Ben Kenobi]

[dannubis]

NOPE !!!

[Ecofarm]

I miss Bush.

Obama is just following his policy, but Obama is boring.

[Patroklos]

Oeridin is such a god damned tool:

As the Armada sailed up the English Channel, it was attacked by an English force lead by Sir Francis Drake. He was stationed in Plymouth. It is said that when Drake was informed of the Armada's approach, he replied that he had time to finish the game of bowls he was playing on Plymouth Hoe and time to defeat the Armada. It is possible that he knew that the tide of the River Tamar in Plymouth was against him, so that he could not get his ships out of Devonport - therefore, he knew that he could finish his game of bowls because his ships were dependent on the tide to move.

This story is quoted in leadership classes liberaly as an example of someone realizing that his immediate action is not going to solve anything. Instead of getting all spun up and interejecting yourself into things you don't yet have the knowledge of the means to contribute, you exude calm and wait for the appropriate time and place to act. Leadership 101.

The simple fact is that Bush had no information at the time to act, so instead of go off with his head spinning demanding information that was not available and actions that were not informed and generally adding to the confused chaos he sat down calmly and waited for his hand picked advisors WHOSE JOB IT IS TO REACT IMMEDIATLY TO SUCH THINGS AND WHO ARE DEDICATED PRFESSIONALS IN THEIR FIELDS to sort things out into a coherent picture and present that to the President when actions that require his input are needed. In this time he found himself in a classroom full of young school children, and used the time wisely. In other words, he acted like a rational leader.

I am curious though Oerdin, what exactly did not happen that should have in those 10 minutes and how is it related to the personal inaction by Bush for ten minutes?

[Dinner]

[Drake Tungsten]

The ignore list finally had a negative effect.

[Asher]

This story is quoted in leadership classes liberaly as an example of someone realizing that his immediate action is not going to solve anything. Instead of getting all spun up and interejecting yourself into things you don't yet have the knowledge of the means to contribute, you exude calm and wait for the appropriate time and place to act. Leadership 101.

Give me a ****ing break. I hope they do not seriously teach this in US military "leadership courses", because it's horse****.

The correct thing to do is immediately start actions if possible, and if not, at least give the impression that you're on it and being informed. You don't know if they will have no effect until you try it. You don't assume they won't.

The President can immediately start absorbing the data as it's coming in. He can start directing people to start looking into certain things. He doesn't need to be hands-on and "interjecting himself into things he does not have the knowledge of the means to contribute", but he could at least issue the executive orders that only he can do (shut down airspace?).

Perhaps most importantly, he does need to exude calm and confidence. What he did, did no such thing. He exuded ineptness and coolness. He should've quietly excused himself and at least pretended that he was on the issue, if only for the optics.

There's no excuse for what he did. He was frozen by panic. It made no sense to sit there and do nothing. You may be right that he couldn't have done anything immediately, but that's not the point. It's important for the citizens to know the President is "on it", and when the images being broadcast around the world showed him very, very slowly reacting and looking, frankly, shellshocked it was not the right thing to do. That is not Leadership 101.

[rah]

I always thought that by sitting there and continued doing what he was doing, he didn't panic the children and projected "don't worry, everything is under control". So I have always disagreed with those that said he should have jumped up and done something. He did the right thing by waiting for more information.

[Asher]

I always thought that by sitting there and continued doing what he was doing, he didn't panic the children and projected "don't worry, everything is under control". So I have always disagreed with those that said he should have jumped up and done something. He did the right thing by waiting for more information.

Why do you avoid the middleground?

What he should've done is politely excused himself and started the ball rolling on absorbing information. No panic.

[Patroklos]

Again:

I am curious though Oerdin, what exactly did not happen that should have in those 10 minutes and how is it related to the personal inaction by Bush for ten minutes?

Its alright if you don't answer, it would probably be as retarded as Asher's answer and there is no need to put anyone through that.

[Patroklos]

Give me a ****ing break. I hope they do not seriously teach this in US military "leadership courses", because it's horse****.

Perhaps flailing around to no practical end is considered a leadership trait in your programing world. I doubt it.

The correct thing to do is immediately start actions if possible, and if not, at least give the impression that you're on it and being informed. You don't know if they will have no effect until you try it. You don't assume they won't.

What a stupid thing to do. For one, as I asked Oerdin, please tell us exactly what action you think Bush should have initiated in those 10 minutes. Second, what od you mean "you don't know until you tried"? In such a crisis situation the LAST thing you should be doing is taking random uninformed actions. That’s exactly why you have people like NORAD and FAA, staffed presumably with people whose job it is to maintain situational awareness as much as anyone can be in their specific area of expertise so they can take the appropriate actions INDEPENDANTLY.

Do you realize you are channeling The Simpson's Movie?

The President can immediately start absorbing the data as it's coming in. He can start directing people to start looking into certain things. He doesn't need to be hands-on and "interjecting himself into things he does not have the knowledge of the means to contribute", but he could at least issue the executive orders that only he can do (shut down airspace?).

Thats exactly what he did, calmly waiting for his motorcade to assemble to get him back to his command post on Air Force One where information can be assembled.

Again, tell me EXACTLY what should have been and could have been accomplished in those 10 minutes that wasn't. Exactly, there was NOTHING that could have been accomplished. Not even NORAD or the FAA knew anything more than Bush did at that moment, the only thing Bush could have done was wait for information to be funneled to him.

Perhaps most importantly, he does need to exude calm and confidence. What he did, did no such thing. He exuded ineptness and coolness. He should've quietly excused himself and at least pretended that he was on the issue, if only for the optics.

Yeah, because realizing correctly that there was no action he could take at present and letting the people hand picked to handle initial crises like that was totally inept and cool.

There is really no better way he could have handled it, and history will see at as such just like Sir Francis Drake. Please explain how where else the President could have been that would have made any relevant difference in those 10 minutes. Where the aids with important information around him somehow unable to talk to him during those ten minutes or something? You are making a semantic argument based on nothing.

There's no excuse for what he did. He was frozen by panic. It made no sense to sit there and do nothing. You may be right that he couldn't have done anything immediately, but that's not the point. It's important for the citizens to know the President is "on it", and when the images being broadcast around the world showed him very, very slowly reacting and looking, frankly, shellshocked it was not the right thing to do. That is not Leadership 101.

He didn't look panicked or shellshocked, and I challenge you to find any picture of those ten minutes where he does. You are simply biased because you don't like the guy. You just admitted he couldn't have accomplished anything, perhaps you are just jealous that Bush was smart enough to realize that and you wouldn't have been.

[a.kitman]

asher part of good leadship is knowing and recognizing you have good men who can deal whit tasks you put them in charge of. tbh i think bush was a clown but he did nothing wrong when he waited a few mins on 9/11.

[rah]

Why do you avoid the middleground?

What he should've done is politely excused himself and started the ball rolling on absorbing information. No panic.

I guess it's just a matter of opinion. I think by continuing to do what he was doing shows his confidence that his people were doing what they should be doing which I consider true leadership.

And even though I voted for him that first time, I'm not that impressed with him so I don't believe my opinion here is biased much.