The Bush administration as a teen-ager

[gratuitous]

You know the type: Insolent, slovenly, disrespectful, but always just within the bounds where you don’t quite lose your temper with them. You ask them to do something and the first answer is always, “Later.” You remind them, and you get a peevish, “I said I’d do it!” Still later, when you mention it again, you get the eye roll, the exasperated exhale, and maybe compliance. Usually accompanied by “All right, you don’t have to keep telling me!”

But it’s a half-assed compliance. Say the task is to put away their laundry. Maybe it gets folded, but probably not, and it’s just stuffed into the drawers, likely as not hanging out the front of the dresser. Half-assed. But done just enough that you don’t feel like pursuing it; gotta pick your battles, after all.

The Bush administration has this down to a fine science. The latest two examples being their proposals to address global climate change and Middle East relations. Both problems require an ongoing commitment and efforts. The Half-Assed Bush administration, though, is busy doing just enough in its last year to run out the clock and leave a whole host of problems for the next sucker to have to deal with. They’re expending just enough effort so that you can’t say they’re not doing anything, but not enough of an effort to accomplish anything. It’s a calculated, cynical effort designed to deflect all criticism.

We need to make sure we talk this up and make it a meme that sticks in the public mind. Because you know that a year from now, the Republicans are going to baying as loudly as they can that the Democrats have completely ruined everything after three months in the White House. Iraq and Afghanistan are going badly, the economy’s in the toilet, weather patterns are getting worse, the price of oil is still over $100 a barrel, and there’s all this instability in the Middle East!

Of course, none of these problems is going to be solved in just three months after eight years (or more) of Republican neglect and sabotage. But we should be about the process now of drawing attention to the lousy job the Half-Assed Bush administration has done in its eight years. It won’t stop the Republican Noise Machine, but it can inoculate public opinion against some of the more egregious lies they’ll be spewing.

[babylonsister]

1. I like your analogy! As for blaming it on the Dems,

about 28% of the population will be doing that, the same 28% who still approve of *. As for the majority of us, including rethugs who are changing parties in record numbers, I think we for the most part realize who's at fault here.

[Gman]

2. As the father of a slovenly 16 year old daughter

that sounds like last night.

[bobbolink]

3. I think you're giving it a bit too much credit.

Try the insolence of a two-year-old.

But at least most two-year-olds are cute.

[gratuitous]

5. You don't expect much from a two-year-old

But by age 14 or 15, the kid's chafing to be independent and establish his or her own identity, has a load of new hormones to contend with, and you do sort of expect them to be able to pull their own weight around the house and help with the chores.

The Half-Assed Bush administration is the kid your hand twitches involuntarily around: You just want to smack them upside the head. But they do the bare minimum, and the media pooh-bahs fall all over themselves to say what a terrific job they're doing. I mention this in part because the New York Times ran an editorial today describing one of the latest proposals out of the Half-Assed Bush administration as a cynical ploy to run out the clock on their remaining time, and how whatever problem isn't being addressed will be left to the next president. There is, naturally, no indication from the Times that the Half-Assed Bush administration might be prodded a little bit by a major media outlet (like the Times - !). They seem pretty content with their role as enabler to these adolescent punks.

[Cresent City Kid]

4. Well said.

My fear about his climate change policy is that it will protect businesses while giving the surface appearance of "doing something" much like the prescription drug plan locked in outrageous prices while they took credit for helping the elderly.

[JuniperLea]

6. I like... but...

I think you give too much credit. I always likened Bush to an obstinate eight year old.