One of the harmful byproducts of democracy is that the selection of our leaders and lawmakers seems more like a horse race than a thoughtful, well-informed evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of various individuals. Something happens to candidates on the campaign trail that strips them of their humanity.
Take, for example, the final question in the second presidential debate on Friday. In the town-hall style event, President Bush was asked, “During the last four years, you have made thousands of decisions that have affected millions of lives. Please give three instances in which you came to realize you had made a wrong decision, and what you did to correct it.”
Bush totally dodged the question. But did Kerry set a good example by admitting his own mistakes and scolding Bush for not being straight with the American people? Democrats should be so lucky, but no.
It’s hard to justify the idea of a government accountable to the people when both candidates act so aloof and arrogant. All people make mistakes. Mature people admit them. Since both candidates refused to admit even a single mistake, we would like to answer the question for them.
George W. Bush’s mistakes
1. I was wrong to play the fear card when making the case for war in Iraq. I put all my eggs in one basket with that whole WMD thing. In the future we will communicate more honestly when the United States needs to use military force to protect its financial interests … er … advance liberty throughout the world.
2. I was wrong to antagonize Iran and North Korea by calling them the Axis of Evil. Tough talk is often necessary, but when they have nuclear weapons and we have an overextended military, maybe diplomacy wouldn’t have been such a bad thing.
3. I was wrong to let Dick Cheney and Karl Rove talk me into a second tax cut for the rich. I didn’t want to do it. From now on, I will irresponsibly run up the deficit solely with tax cuts for the middle class.
John F. Kerry’s mistakes
1. I was wrong to sign the USA PATRIOT Act without first reading it. I promise to read more of the legislation that I support if I am elected president. I make no promises about whether this will make my positions more consistent.
2. I was wrong to give the president a blank check for war, then trash him, then say that I would still vote to give him a black check and then justify the whole mess by appealing to “nuance.” The truth: It was the wrong vote in the wrong Senate at the wrong time.
3. I am wrong to miss so many votes in the Senate while I am running for president. I hope the American public doesn’t follow my lead by actually putting their vote where their mouth is.