Why Bush lost the debates

People when they live in a bubble, do not benefit from the sparring.

Bush before the Press Conferences showed he is not willing to admit mistakes or engage in self-reflection.

His Secret Service keeps those "with other views" far away.

The President is living in a bubble. His staff around him are yes-men, parroting the favorable news so much that they actually believe it.

The President is not used to facing sharp criticism or questions. Those in the Press corp who dare speak out or attempt to ask a question resembling something remotely associated with a "tough issue," are banned.

The White House also cuts off contact with those who are most critical of the White House, going so far as to reveal the identities of CIA agents.

This White House knows only abuses, intimidation, and slander. It is reckless.

But during the debates, we suddenly saw the "king" without any clothes on. His wavering voice, his batting eyes, hunched over as if looking for the rope to make the scary monster disappear.

This time, the President was bare. He could not hide as he has done for the last three years. And the President shows himself for who he really is: Overwhelmed, afraid, insecure, out of touch, and inexperienced.

Bush is frail, weak, and relies on a chorus of talk-show hosts to carry the flag that he long-dropped. The President has for too long hidden behind a wall, and now the curtain reveals the timid creature.

The President's only "solution" is to avoid attention on his failings; and call in those who are most abusive to shift attention. Whether it be the Secret Service, FBI, or goons in the local law enforcement, Bush doesn't care.

Bush cares so little for those who "do his dirty work," that he doesn't ensure that they are adequately funded with grants to sustain their "gallant effort."

To be sure, we should not be surprised why the President is afraid. He has lost his thick skin, relying only on an image that cannot stand reality.

Bush lost the debate because he was underprepared, underestimated his opponenent. He's had three years to develop some very weak habits. It is unlikely he will "rise to the moment" in a few weeks. Many years of bad habits are difficult to break.

To be sure, though, Bush is a formidable opponent. Not one to pass up the opportunity to use ~any~ method to achieve his ends. If it serves him, he will lie; if it is in his interests, he will feign ignorance about policies directing others to commit war crimes.

Bush is truly a formidable opponent. That is when there is no other opponent to compare. That is why during 9-11 he stood so tall--there were no others around him to dare claim they had the answer, as only Bush knew what was going on. It was Bush who ignored the warnings prior to 9-11; and it was Bush who did nothing about the failures in the FBI with translations.

"Everything is fine," and "we were all doing our job." And so the chorus sang for three years.

Finally, at the end of September 2004, the chorus stopped. And Bush was alone. Standing face to face against someone who was not controllable.

For the first time in three years, Bush was without a magic bullet, lantern, or cape. History finally caught up with the President.

The next debate will decide whether Bush can catch up with reality.