Saturday, July 12, 2008

President Bush's Nightmare

The scene is a president's bedroom at the White House on November 15, 2004. The time is 3 a.m. in the morning.

George is thrashing in bed and screaming out "No, no, no." Laura is awakened and rubs her eyes. George continues thrashing and screaming incoherently.
Laura reaches out and shakes the president's back. "Georgie, Georgie, wake up, wake up." George does not respond and continues moaning. Laura finally punches him in the arm and this awakens George.
"What's happening?" he asks, breathing heavily.
"You tell me. You are the one who was screaming and moaning in the middle of the night."
"That's right! I was having a terrible nightmare. Oh, Laura you couldn't imagine what was happening to me."
"Georgie, just tell honey buns and I'll make it all right," Laura says soothingly.
George takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself. "It was July 4, 2008 and everything was going wrong."
"What do you mean? asks Laura.
"Johnny McCain is going to be the nominee, and he's barely speaking to me."
"There's no way that man's going to be the nominee," Laura says emphatically.
"I know that," George says. "I know that. And that's not the worst of it."
"Tell me honey buns," Laura says.
"My popularity ratings are the lowest in history, the war in Iraq seems like it will never end, a terrible recession is happening, millions of people are losing their homes, and Israel is going to attack Iran." George is once again out of breath and panting.
Laura takes him in her arms and strokes his brow. "Honey buns, it's all just a nightmare. It's November 2004 and you told me that the war in Iraq would be over within a year. So it's impossible for the war to be going on in 2008. Isn't it?"
"Sure, sure," George says.
"Besides, your popularity ratings are very high. How could you ever become the most unpopular president in history? It's simply not impossible," Laura insists. "The economy is doing fine, and housing sales are booming. Didn't Alan tell us that we’re in the greatest period of prosperity in American history."
"I seem to recollect that. Perhaps it was on the memo that I didn't read. But you're sure you remember it don't you?"
"Yes, Georgie." I read all of your memos."
"Sure do appreciate that hun. You know I can keep track of all these details. But what about Israel attacking Iran?"
"They'd never do that without your permission," Laura says with great determination. "You need to remember that you're the leader of the free world and the best president the United States of America ever had."
"Yes. You're right." George breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad I married you. Everything is going to be fine."

3 comments:

Dana said...

Presidential approval rating amuse me. the war in Iraq wasn't made in a bubble and the current economic position has more to do with greedy business people and uninformed home buyers. Really, the president has very little control but takes all of the blame!

Neil Benson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Neil Benson said...

Dana,

This president had too much power and control about things seeing new too little of in the first place and about which he was ill advised in the second place. When you're president, what happens on your watch is your responsibility. While his mind was overseas, things got rotten in Denmark, so to speak.