George W. Bush, a Baseball, and a Bullhorn
The attacks on September 11, 2001 spearheaded an identity crisis among the American people. They were scared for and unsure of the future. They were spiraling into wartime, they felt as if their everyday security was at risk, and they needed a place to turn for reassurance. Luckily, the American people had the greatest political leader of the 21st century. They had none other than President George W. Bush. The man that had the Southern charm, the presidential smile, and an unmatched wit. He was just your Uncle George and every time he spoke or addressed the nation, you felt that connection. Now, what better was there to help mend an open ontological wound than someone with those characteristics? George W. Bush’s response to the attacks on 9/11, barring opinions on the invasion of Iraq, makes him one of the greatest to ever hold the office. It’s clear that President Bush’s record was quite shaky, considering the economic recession and other failed policy initiatives, but this is far beyond that. When Gallup, Pew, Quinnipiac, and Monmouth call your house asking whether you view the President as favorable or unfavorable, you likely think of their personality first and foremost.
The beginning of the War on Terror, following the attacks, was not an easy thing to swallow for most Americans. We saw enlistment rates in the military raise, but the thought of spending more time in war was not a very welcomed idea. However, a response was absolutely necessary. Yet, at the same time, President Bush and his calming, reassuring tone seemed to make everything alright. There are two instances, in particular, that exemplify such a claim.
First, three days following the attacks, President Bush stood atop the rubble at Ground Zero with a bullhorn in his right hand and his left grabbing the shoulder of a mourning, ailing FDNY officer. At this moment, he solidified himself as the most composed man in the face of the most unbearable and unbelievable adversity. It was then that “Uncle George” spoke, off the cuff, to the most vulnerable in America. And he did it as well as anyone had in history. This, more or less, put to bed, any presidential one-liner that ever was. This includes “fear itself,” “tear down this wall,” “ask not what your country can do,” and, every last “we’re gonna build a wall” that was to come in decades thereafter. When President Bush said, “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon,” he bolstered and rejuvenated confidence that was at an all time low.
Second, about a month after September 11th, the President was asked to throw out the first pitch at the World Series. He was asked to do so in Arizona, at the Diamondbacks’ home field, to lessen the possibility of any further threats or attacks. However, he refused, and insisted that he throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium for Game 3, due to the Stadium’s location in New York City. He knew that the people of New York needed this more than anything, and that baseball was the one thing that was going to truly unify them. Well, President Bush took the mound and delivered a perfect strike. That perfect strike was the most defining symbol of his leadership following 9/11. His response, his addresses to the nation, his composure and resolve, and even his most informal of interactions were absolutely unprecedented in their class and grace. Therefore, when I think of the War on Terror and it’s dawn, none other than President George W. Bush, a baseball, and a bullhorn come to mind.
I agree with your notion that President Bush had the best response possible right after the terror attacks of September 11th. However, I do not believe Bush fully thought out all the implications of his so-called "Bush Doctrine." I believe it was rather unwise of him to state that the United States will only make decisions that will benefit their national interests. In my opinion, this creates even more hostility towards the United States, because other states, or non-state actors may feel that negotiations will be useless and resort straight to violence.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that what Bush said on top of the rubble of the World Trade Centers was a statement that was needed at the time to unite the American people. However, stating that from now on the United States will not concede to other countries complaints to gain their acceptance was not a smart move on the part of Bush. Obviously, something needed to be done after the terrorist attacks, but I believe the language Bush used was detrimental in the long run.
I agree that President Bush was integral in unifying the nation after the attacks of September 11th. However, I personally feel as though it was not necessarily his personality that people identified with, but rather they looked toward his leadership in a time of crisis. The "Rallying Around the Flag Effect" is necessary after an international threat and I believe that President Bush was extremely aware of this after the attacks. A president should be a reliable leader in the time of catastrophe and one that its people can look upon. Typically, the citizens of the United States are compelled to gather behind their leader and support them in their response to a great international conflict. Thus, I believe that it is more of people seeking security in leadership than President Bush's personality that unified the nation after 9/11.
ReplyDeleteNeither George Bush is my favorite president, and I disagree with their moves in Iraq. However, I will agree that the response to 9/11 was particularly strong. Other times in history, we have had heads of government and state who paid vague lip service to "unity" while doing nothing about the impending crisis, thus angering the people and pushing them closer to conflicts, and ultimately having a divisive effect. These leaders have gone down in history as weaklings who did nothing for their country at critical moments in time (Neville Chamberlain and James Buchanan spring to mind, but it applies to other leaders as well). A weaker president may have done the same thing after 9/11. However, President Bush's response did rejuvenate the American people, giving them the courage to stand up when the country was on its knees. It is true that the people look for leadership after a crisis, but not every leader is willing to give it, and Bush proved he was somebody the American people could rely on. The fact that he stood on the rubble in New York and threw out the first pitch there when he did not need to is itself a testament to his personality. This comes in contrast to examples such as President Obama's complete lack of interest in going to Louisiana following the floods in Baton Rouge last year, which gave Louisianans the impression that he simply did not care about them. Bush could have made a similar decision after 9/11, but the fact that he did so much to revive the spirit of New Yorkers and took a strong stance against terrorism allowed him to be America's darling until the War in Iraq.
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