Does Bush Know He's In A Bubble?

[Plaid Adder]

I'm just curious about this...how much of all this stage-managing is simply to prevent him from finding out that by carryign out his handlers' wishes he has made himself The Most Hated Man On Earth? Are Rove et al. actually worried that if Bush realizes the depth of the hatred, he might, like, not be as psyched about stooging for them?

Or is Bush creating his own bubble just by being a self-absorbed little so-and-so?

Not sure it matters, but one does wonder,

The Plaid Adder

[ChickMagic]

1. I've wondered that as well

I wonder if he even realizes that people protest against him. He doesn't read the papers and he most likely doesn't watch the news on TV (not that he'd get enlightenment there). On a Frontline program, it appeared that he wasn't too keen on going along with the PNAC stuff until 9-11. I've wondered if they keep all this from him to make him "think" he's doing the right thing.

BTW, I can't stand the little creep, nor do I trust any of his motives. But I have wondered a bit about this.

[rfranklin]

2. They have another reason to keep "bubble boy" isolated...

He can't deal with any contradiction or challenge to his "authority." Any time he gets even the slightest question about his "policies," he loses it. It would be great to see him in a real debate where the other candidate really ripped into him. If Gore had really gone after him and called him a fraud, he would have gone ballistic (because deep down inside he knows he's a fraud, i.e., when he admitted he was 'just a media creation.')

[ChickMagic]

6. You're right!

I have disturbing fantasies about Wes Clark debating the evil monkey.
ANY of the dem candidates could chew him up, but I keep having recurring daydreams about Clark/Bush.

[rasputin1952]

10. Think about Sharpton/bush...

THAT would be interesting!

:evilgrin:

[Emboldened Chimp]

23. Actually, not true

Ann Richards tried that route, thinking he'd just blow his top, and to her surprise he managed to keep his cool. That was, however, before he got this job. He's way overstressed right now. For my money, Dean would get him to blow his stack.

[cdeca]

3. My Vote!

I vote for self-absorbed little so-and-so!

PS: Your column ROCKS PA!

[Kanary]

12. Hi, cdeca!

Welcome to D.U.!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

Kanary

[newyawker99]

21. Hi cdeca!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. Pickles sure doesn't...

After listening to her comments about the visit to London saying "I saw lots of American Flags waving," and other comments of pro-Bush rhetoric, I came to believe that the poor librarian doesn't have a clue.

(Or is as large a liar as her husband)

[ChickMagic]

7. She seemed sincere

At least that's what I thought when I saw her say that. I really think they don't have any inkling about what people really think.

[knight_of_the_star]

5. Well, if he is in a bubble

I somehow doubt he knows it. I'm sure he is just told that he is doing what he is because unca dick says it is best for little georgie.

[Malva Zebrina]

13. I agree

I think he is perfectly ammenable to anything--because he knows nothing of what is going on--that much is obvious. You cannot object to much if you do not know what is going on and lack the intelligence to figure it out.

It is such a pleasure to watch Dean or Clark speak intelligently from the hip--so to speak. One gets the sense that they actually know something about the issues of which they speak. Not so with George, as we well know. It is absolutely painful to watch him screw up over and over and over. He is merely a little boy Dauphine.

He is and will be always conneceted to and attached to the man who is greater than he--his father. And that father was no great statesman or leader of any great import either. But he was important and had good connections for a few years to make it seem he was really a good leader. We know he was not and he has had a failed presidency. May his little spoiled spawn, meet the same fate.

[soupkitchen]

8. His bubble wrap causes the bubble rap

or vice-versa

[PurityOfEssence]

9. He's been in one all his life

What point of reference does he have for anything else? In all seriousness, he's so sociopathic that empathy is not part of his makeup, and he's not smart enough to have the imagination to see the reality of the lives of others even in a clinical and distant sense.

Like most privileged and callous narcissists, he blythely laughs off others' hatred for him as jealousy, and he rarely thinks of it.

Know shchmoe, the whole thing's not even an issue: poor people are insects.

[Zomby Woof]

11. are these the days of miracle and wonder?

He's a bubblehead, at the very least.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. He knows

"I live in a bubble. That's just what happens when you're the president."

George W. Bush May 23, 2002, confirming he has no idea what's going on

http://www.gcrecords.com/gc_quotearch.htm

[maddezmom]

17. it's too sad to be funny

but remember when Sr was in the WH he didn't know about UPC scanners at grocery stores. They do not live in the same world as you and I.

[rasputin1952]

15. Any man that can smile...

while he signs the lives of others away, has a soul so shriveled and black that he cares little about what others think.

I truly don't think he really lives in a "bubble", he is simply evil, and just doesn't care. There is no complexity to any of his "decisions", they are simply based on pure greed and a simplistic view that "he knows what he's doing". In essence, he's nothing more than a moran. Worse, he knows it!

:evilgrin:

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Well he has been told at least once

but you can't tell if the denial was just keeping up a brave front, or if he genuinely doesn't believe it.

I personally think he's probably the equivalent of a Millwall soccer supporter - their chant is "Everybody hates us, we don't care".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1089483,00.html

"Nick Robinson of ITV asks the PM if British people are being killed because he is standing on the platform with this US president, and he asks Mr Bush why so many thousands of free citizens are on the streets protesting against him, and why so many hate him.

"Freedom is beautiful. It's a fantastic thing to come to a country," interrupts Mr Bush.

"But why do people hate you so much?" continues Mr Robinson.

"I'm not sure that they do," smiles Mr Bush."

[BurtWorm]

18. You have phrased my own recent wondering about this very well!

And I've been inclined to think Bush has been the boy in the bubble his whole life. I think it does matter, when you consider the illusion Americans have that their government is democratic. It helps me, anyway, to understand what's under the pseudo-democratic glaze.

[JPace]

19. At his core he is the true republican....

a belief that if someone is suffering
from poverty it is basically their own
fault. That if you just tried hard
enough you would solve all your problems
yourself. That if you need help it should
come from a church and be only temporary.

In other words if you lose your job,
catch a disease, have an accident or
by birth are living in a gutter, a good
works Christian will show up with a
bowl of soup and kind words, this
should get you started on a whole new
prosperous life.

[izzie]

20. I have also thought about this and this is what I think

Clinton knew what was going on so if Bush is in a bubble he lets it happen just as his father and Reagon did.(Mostly Nancy did this) I think it is the belief that you are ment to rule were Clinton was more we let him rule. Clinton also had to work for it where it was handed to the two Bush,s Even Reagon spent years running where it was Father Bush's turn, so to speak.The out look is different so they play the game that way. Also Bush has all those people like Karl around him and they believe in this Leo Struss and this ruling class stuff. They knew what is best for us.I am on a chat from England and they were saying Bush had his own cook do the pub food for him. Will you tell me why the tax payers of this country are paying for Bush to carry his oun cook with him and on the car. Is not the Royal RR good enough. I mean we have to get ahold of this stuff, It is silly.This is not a caste socirty.

[jpgray]

22. Yes, and he doesn't care

He's dumb, but he's not as dumb as he would have us believe--sort of the Reagan effect: someone of less than average intelligence that uses acting like an idiot to tweak the intellectual community and build a suit of amazing teflon when responsibility is dished out.

[SheilaT]

24. No, and to a large extent

he can't help it. People in power get surrounded and coddled and very quickly they start taking it for granted and pretty soon they have no idea that they're not in the real world.

I had a small experience with that about ten years ago. It only lasted a week, and was nice while it lasted, but it's left me with permanent insight into how the process works.

One of the wonderful things about Clinton was that every year he'd go out and do his own Christmas shopping at local malls in DC. Yeah, he still would have had secret service with him, but as I recall he paid cash for things, so he retained awareness of what things actually cost. It helped minimize the bubble thing for him.

I suspect that these days, post-presidency, Clinton is actually more isolated than he used to be. I've seen first hand how he's mobbed by adoring people anywhere he goes.

[Cleita]

25. I wonder if Arnold has figured out his place in

the neo-con universe as a stooge and target. I think Bush has figured it out by now, if not he's even denser than we thought, and probably knows he can't back out now.