Our President’s handlers historically (now I can say that) do NOT PERMIT known dissenters to attend the President’s “public” forums. This is a long-standing policy, well reported by the media on the back pages of newspapers, and scream about loudly on the liberal blogs.

It’s unAmerican for the President to behave in this way.

But, MORE IMPORTANTLY: The policy of shutting down all dissent shields the President from reality. George W. Bush has proudly proclaimed on several occasions that he does NOT read newspapers. Being that he is a non-reader, I doubt he surfs the internet and gets a healthy does of broad opinion.

That means that he gets his “news” from TV. TV News is worthless, and FoxNews is not much more than a propaganda tool for the Republican Party.

In his daily briefings, the President will not get a broad does of healthy opinion. He will get what he wants to hear, from lapdogs. He might get a small taste of what his most powerful opponents are saying, but he will dismiss such dissent as political posturing.

Mr. President, it appears that you are not likely to be well informed.

Bush sees only throngs of screaming fans at his forums. He hears breifings that spin things his way. He makes no attempt (that we know of) to be a well rounded informed citizen. And he is leader of the free world, making decisions that affect the world.

Those on the right hated Bill Clinton. But no one ever said Bill Clinton was uninformed or dimwitted. Clinton knew what he was talking about, even if you disagreed with him. He could rebut his critics with the best of them, because he knew things and studied.

George Bush will go down in history as a good natured sheltered leader, not known for his intellect and curiosity, who stubbornly followed policies he believed in and ignored everyone’s opinion but himself and his political allies. The end of the historical reconrd remains to be written, but it might be: And the result was successful, or The result was terrible —– we don’t know the final outcome yet, on the major policies of the Bush administration. We don’t yet know the unintended consequences of Bush’s policies, which could be good or bad.

Those of us who oppose Bush are scared of his admitted lack of intellectual curiosity and his dedication to stifling any dissent and shielding himself from opposing points of view. We do not respect his mind or his decision making process, and so we question every action he takes. He must prove himself to us - we do NOT give him the benefit of the doubt. He has done nothing to attempt to earn our trust. He leads by demanding blind faith and loyalty.

I hope my view of Bush is wrong, because he is my President and I want to trust him and admire him. But he continues to show that he is not a man to be respected for his mind and judgment, except that he is President and we should always respect the Office. The real mental power is in his staff of course.

BUSH’S BACKUP GROUP IS ACTUALLY A LEFTIST GROUP
Bush’s staff appears to be made up of the group known as “neocons”. Neocons are not traditional conservatives. In fact, a prominent conservative author, Thomas Woods, Jr., calls the neocon philosophy “a variety of leftism” . The linked article is by Woods, and is responding to a critique of his book The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History . And so, Bush has surrounded himself with leftists (neocons are leftists according to Woods).

However, Bush also listens to the social conservative base and throws them bones from time to time, primarily in the form of judgships, while waiting to give them the BIG PRIZE —– Supreme Court Appointments.

I want to see Bush have a real dialogue about issues with those who disagree with him, where he speaks intelligently and not in talking points, and shows us that he thinks about issues and has a grasp on reality.

Rocky Mountain News: Local: “Little room for dissent at president’s forum

By Ann Imse, Rocky Mountain News
March 22, 2005

A few people who didn’t support President Bush’s Social Security reform plan snuck into his town hall meeting on Monday.

But they didn’t last long.

‘We went in and sat down, and a half-hour later we were escorted out,’ said Alex Young, 25, who is involved in an anti-Bush group known as the Denver Progressives. The group has a Web site and has protested Bush appearances in the past.

‘They definitely seemed to know who we were,’ Young said. ‘They have this pretense of having a conversation about Social Security, but they’re very selective about who they let in. They didn’t say you have to be a registered Republican to get a ticket.’

The 1,000 people at the event were outspoken in their enthusiasm for the president. It was impossible to pick out anyone not participating in a standing ovation for the president’s policies in Iraq and Afghanistan.”