Father Dearest

Note: This January 11, 2005 BuzzFlash Editorial marks the eleventh in
20 consecutive editorials BuzzFlash will be publishing through January
20th.

A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL

At the center of a number of theories surrounding the blind loyalty to
Bush among some 90% of Republicans is that he represents the father
figure for the nation. A patriarchal hierarchy reveres the father no
matter what errors he makes, because he -- well -- sits at the head of
the table and is the "leader" of the family.

So the father could go out on a bender and sleep with a couple of
tarts, go to church and ask repentance, and all is forgiven because he
is the father, the provider, the protector of the family.

Perhaps that's why Andrew Card, Bush's Chief of Staff, told a group of
Bush Maine supporters last summer that George regards the citizens of
America as 10-year-olds (we are not making this up) who need to be
led. The irony that Bush may be the 10-year-old defying the law of
majority rule that comes with democracy did not go unnoticed by
BuzzFlash.

If you're not into the patriarchy model, you just see Bush's worldview
as arrogant, elitist, and toxic. This is one father figure who is so
bumbling that he wears the word "failure" out. Indeed, the only thing
he is successful at is failing -- and, of course, lying about his
failures.

That's some father figure. It reminds us of the male counterpart of
"Mommy Dearest." It's the "Godfather" if Fredo ended up running the
Corleone crime family instead of Michael.

In Bush's patriarchal hierarchy, a Christian God has chosen him to
lead America onto "a righteous path." Bush's primary mission was not
to be elected. He has told staffers, as documented in many articles,
that he believes that the almighty picked him as president and to lead
the crusade against terrorism. It wasn't an election in 2000,
according to George; it was divine intervention.

There are two kinds of people in the world, the old saw goes: people
who believe there are two kinds of people, and the rest of us. George
W. Bush falls into the first category. Let's try this theory out:

Islam: bad. Christianity: good.
Republicans: good. Democrats: bad.
Rich people: good. Poor people: bad.

Are you getting the picture now?

That's our national Daddy: a simple-minded elitist who believes that
he is divinely inspired.

His icon is everywhere now, even, as Paul Krugman has pointed out,
including multiple photos of "our father figure" in the United States
budget. (No presidential photos have ever appeared before in the
budget.) Like Mao or Castro or Stalin, his propagandists are branding
him as the "mighty leader" fighting to "protect the homeland." Large
billboards are already popping up with Bush's photo and the simple
title, "Our Leader." No doubt, statues and marble busts will soon be
springing up around the nation of "our president leading the valiant
struggle against the terrorist enemies who hate freedom."

Bush almost isn't a real person anymore. He is a branded image.

The White House markets Bush like a product, and the press treats him
as if he were advertising copy.

But, truth be told, he is just a chronic failure in three
thousand-dollar suits.

He is a dangerous man in a dangerous time.

What does a nation do when its father figure turns out to be an inept,
inflexible child who doesn't understand his limitations?

Perhaps, people begin to pray.

George W. Bush sure is bringing a lot of people back to religion.

Prayer may be all that's left after he's done dismantling our
Constitution and our infrastructure as a national community, not to
mention bankrupting our nation and conducting an unnecessary war that
has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the
radicalization of more terrorists.

Pray for "your President," our soldiers are told.

Pray for America to survive this president.

A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL