It was all of that and far more.

As I went through AP's photo gallery of his trip, I was damn near cheering.

I went through those photos, while my mind remembered isolated glimpses of the past three months -- from Colin Powell putting his hand on Bush's during that still moment when Pres. Bush made the "go" decision, to his climbing into that plane.

Hell, he earned it!

I'm really glad he got to combine a little pleasure with "work." And I'm happy for him.

Norm

For international politics, it may well be his equivalent of "We begin bombing in 30 minutes."
In the Soviet Union, Reagan's "psychosis" played very effectively in contributing towards a cultural reevaluation within the government.
This should play fairly effectively for Arabs, with Bush coming across as being the most alpha man in the world.

Far more manly than taking advantage of White-House interns, in my humble opinion.

Political theater it indeed was, but I also truly believe it was GWBs way of saying thank you to the armed forces. By landing on a carrier (one of the most dangerous acts in the service) he showed he was willing to take a risk or two like they do every day. By giving the speech from the carrier he was telling them, and us, that "you are the best of us".
By the way, of course he looks comfortable in a flight suit he was a pilot, even if it was only reserve duty.

Yeah, I've read both Glenn Reynolds and Andruw Sullivan's poo poohing of the landing. I can see their point, but it looks to me like they are suffering a little bit of "uh oh, what will the Europeans think." Which, of course, Bush would probably respond, "I don't care." Their's a great letter over at NRO's Corner. The guy is a military guy and he says by Bush enduring the carriar landing, he sent a message to the troops that he's willing to put himself at risk a little too. I guess I buy that. And he goes onto say what a carriar landing is like.

But, I think this really was aimed a little at the Arabs. He was definately doing a little strutting for their purposes. And I have to believe it'll make an impact. Was it hubristic? I think it was. And that's the point. He told the Arabs, "I'm feeling pretty damn confident in myself and all this pretty military hardware. You want to mess with me? Bring it on."

Bush and his handlers aren't stupid. This was MEANT to be seen as hubristic and tacky. It'll send the liberals into another self-destructive frenzy ("I HATE OUR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!") but it'll make the Arabs think they may have messed with the wrong infidel. The more I chew on it, the more I think the carriar landing and the speech and setting was genius.

As a former professional stage manager, I have to say it was truly incredible. From a production standpoint, everything went flawlessly.

The camera angles were great. The Navy boys and girls, bless 'em, hit all of their cues right on the dime (the big "'RAY" on "going home" got a big, hard, painful swallow out of this lad).

They must have brought that beautiful ship to all engines stop - but even then, in the open water, even the wind cooperated. I mean, the man's hair didn't get mussed once, and I never even saw his lapel flap.

Great delivery, too. I wouldn't want to do an audition piece on a rolling deck off of a teleprompter. Only one very slight stutter-type flub that I counted (and, I guess I am finally coming around to accepting "nucular" as an acceptable alternate pronunciation).

There was even a JFK echo in there, appropriately (is he our only Navy guy president in history?). What wasn't to like?

If this is the opening shot in '04, then us Blue-State guys just had the opening kickoff downed on our one-yard line, and are facing a snarling, extremely pumped up defense.

Gulp.

Since I'm stuck with answering-the-phone duty while everyone else is in computer training, I can post for a week or so. Gosh, this blogging stuff is kinda fun.

Of course this is a political act. But we need to remember that the crew of the Lincoln and the ships in its battle group were at sea for almost twice as long as normal and they were involved in combat operations essential the entire time. Flying out to thank them for this extraordinary effort (even by military terms) was entirely appropriate. The president was conveying this thanks on behalf of all of us. Of course he scored political points in doing so, as it was the right thing to do.

Russ,

Actually, I believe that we've had quite a few Navy men.

Nixon, Ford, Carter (iirc) all served in the USN (none, however, saw any combat, unlike JFK).

Bush served as a Navy pilot and was decorated for heroism (again, iirc).

Reagan was Army, as were Ike and Truman.

Can't remember LBJ's service (but he was of an age and generation that would have had SOME).

Clinton and FDR had none, Dubya was in the Reserves.

Dubya was a F-105 pilot in the Texas Air National Guard, different from Air Force Reserve.

I think Bush Sr. was even shot down in WW2 if memory serves. I think he and JFK definately saw the most combat of recent presidents (before that, you'd probably have to go back Teddy Roosevelt).

Bush #41's splashdown during WWII actually sets a speed record for open sea voyage on that rescue craft. It was probably motivated by the fact that he went down close to an island hold by the Japanese forces.

Some corrections: Bush flew F-102's not thuds and Truman saw combat in WWI.

Actually, Reagan never left the country during WWII, and his "military service" was for show. Bush, of course, famously went AWOL during the last year of his Air National Guard stint, after having his flying privileges suspended.

And Truman was a Guardsman as well.

But go ahead and plug away at the bogus AWOL thing. It should play well with people that really don't care if its true, but want to believe it is, and don't really care to look into the facts, both of what he was actually doing during the period, and what the true definition of AWOL under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) is.

Despite all the pooh-poohing of him 'taking advantage' of connections, the deal he got signed up for was a damn site more hazardous than not inhaling doobies in England with the occaisional side trips to Moscow. The F-102 didn't have particularly that stellar a safety record - it ate a lot of pilots. And should the Bears have come 'over the top' to come after us? W sould have been one of the pilots going to stop them. Not as glamorous a position as a writer for the base paper in the rear with the gear in the 'Nam, but a contribution nonetheless, despite the attempts to deride or denigrate it.

The President was great! We can be proud of him and how he is conducting America's business. It was great theater, but now we need to get some judges confirmed and an economic package in the works. Carry(ier) on!

This article provides more verification of the "bogus AWOL thing". Since Bush was suspended from flying after 1971, it is unlikely he would done anything more significant than snorting lines if the "Bears" had come over the top.

Politics isn't JUST Republicans v Democrats. It was political theater, but it wasn't partisanship, it was Presidency.

Uh, yeah Steve. A convieniently vague article on a website called "awolbush.com" taken from a rabidly left-wing web magazine days after the 2000 election. Riiiight...

We of the blogosphere are not fooled so easily.

Every president from Ike to Bush Sr. were not only a member of the military, but had all served in some capacity during World War II.

It may be tacky to say how wonderful that generation was, but that was 40 years of executive leadership under those presidents regardless of party affiliation, longer than I consider the generation itself considering the war was 4 years long.

TO: Stephen Green
RE: Political Theater

Yes it was. And it brought the house down....in some cases around the ears of some who gainsaid it; Glenn Reynolds, N.Z. Bear, etc.

It was well staged and well executed. Unlike some political theater I've seen in the past.

[1] Clinton at Omaha Beach finding a pile of rocks, which were obviously placed their on the otherwise all sand beach, and making a cross out of them.

[2] Dukakais riding around in the TCs hatch of an M1 Abrams at the factory, looking, for all the world, like he had just soiled his pants.

Most politicians, especially in the public view, are performing. When they are, we should pay attention to the acting and recognize it for what it is. We should also appreciate it when it is all done as well as it was yesterday.

He's a 'natural' as a jet-jockey.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

I'm sure some political thinker in the White House thought up the idea as the first step on the campaign trail.

Call me ideologically naive, but I don't think the President was thinking solely in terms of political advantage. He too often sounds as if he believes what he's saying (gasp!).

In other words, I believe he wanted to thank the troops. I believe he understands just how much he asks of the armed forces and he KNOWS he's sending some unfortunate (few in this case) armed service people into danger and possible death.

Don't think for a minute he hasn't read the names of every single American killed in GWII.

Bush isn't a saint, but he's a man worthy of our respect and appreciation.

After the eighteen month's he's had, he deserved to be able to wear that big grin. I can think of only a handful of other presidents that have been under as much strain. Roosevelt in the dark days of 1942. Lincoln in 1861-62, Madison in 1814 when the British burned the White House.

I too felt that it was good. Good for us, good for the troops, and good for the world. Theater, yes. But Good none the less.

Mike M. is perhaps the first person in the history of the blogosphere to refer to The New Republic as "rabidly left wing". Perhaps he should get out more.

The fact is, if Bush had really served his country during Vietnam, either by fighting there or opposing the war, instead of using family connections to dodge the draft, he might have been more reluctant to put 150 American soldiers in the grave over "weapons of mass destruction".

Reagan couldn't qualified, physically. Still he insisted on enlisting, so the Army put him to good use, making instructional films.

Oh sorry, I forgot. There is no liberal media. Now it's all the vast right wing media conspiracy fueled by Zionists, big oil, and Clear Channel talk radio.

But who am I to opine? If Bush haters want to dredge up issues that lost Democrats the 2004 election that's fine by me. Crank up the volume on that Dixie Chicks favorite "Landslide"...

This was first and foremost about the troops.

No one else here has noted that President Bush sent Secretary Rumsfeld to be in Afghanistan with the troops while GW went to the Abraham Lincoln.

LBJ was in the navy in WWII; FDR was secretary of the navy before he was president, not really military, but definately service.

Red Squad Henry:

Navy Guys as Prez:

JFK (First PT Boat Commander WWII)
LBJ (Sort of but not really: Member of Navy Reserve awarded Silver Star for flying on bomber mission in WWII)
RMN (WWII REMF)
JEC (First Naval Academy Graduate as Prez, First and only Submariner)
GHWB (WWII - Torpedo Bomber Pilot - First Pilot as Prez)

GWB is the first Air Force Prez.

I think had Gore been elected he would have been the first enlisted man as Prez (Lincoln was a militia enlisted man, but that probably doesn't count)

I'm seldom impressed by people who equate service in the air national guard as "dodging the draft". Its such a clear marker of the self-deluded.

While the aspects of political theater of Bush's visit to the Lincoln are evident, I'm still convinced that the trip was done this way as much to acknowledge the servicemen as it was for photo ops. Its obvious from the comments I've personally heard that the troops took it that way.

The whole point, of course, is that Bush didn't "serve" his time in the Air National Guard. He clearly blew off his responsibilities and went AWOL as soon as the draft ended.

TO: Steve Smith
RE: Responsibilities

So tell me Steve...

...what are the articles under the UCMJ that you think Bush should have been prosecuted with?

[Note: Be advised, I served as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner using the UCMJ on active duty.]

Present your case, counsellor....

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[I love barracks room lawyers. Especially of the civilian persuasion. They taste like chicken....]

Larry said:

"I think had Gore been elected he would have been the first enlisted man as Prez"

Actually, there have been several. William McKinley was a sergeant in the Civil War

Hw was the last of the Civil War "Greatest Generation"

Chuck Pelto:

Either Article 885(a)(1) and (2) (desertion) or 886 (absence without leave) would apply, since his failure to show up to his unit in Birmingham was not authorized.

As political theater, it was very good. I'll give it a 9+. To be a 10 he would have had to have flown out in the back seat of a Tomcat.

The speech was also good - but not as much symbolism as I expected. Political speech is built from symbols, and that's one place where this president isn't doing that well. Like, why hasn't a ship been named the USS Flight 93 yet? Here he could have walked up to the mike in a beat to hell G-2 flight jacket with all the nap worn off the neck and said:

"I looked in my closet for a flight jacket.

But mine said Air Force on it..."

(wait for the applause)

"So I borrowed my Dad's."

After that it wouldn't have mattered what he said.

(Chuck, I look forward to your next post...)

Truman saw lots of combat in WWI.

Lie.

The F-102 had a GREAT safety record in Vietnam. Only 8 were lost due to "operational accidents" over a ten year period.

Dubyah was less likely to get killed flying one of those than when he was driving around his neghborhood drunk out of his mind.