When presidents lose the public’s trust, they struggle to govern. But when they become discounted in the public’s eyes, they can’t govern at all. That is the position President Bush now finds himself in, with most Americans not believing him on Iraq and even conservative talk show hosts questioning his intelligence and lampooning his comments.
From his foolishly flamboyant declaration of the end of hostilities three years ago to his insistence that the Iraqi insurgency is on the run to his pronouncement that Americans just don’t realize yet how the Israelis really beat Hezbollah, the president has steadily lost public confidence. People pay less and less attention to what he says because they just don’t believe him. That is dangerous for him and for America.
Far from making us safer, President Bush’s obsession with taking out Saddam Hussein has only put us – and the rest of the world – at greater risk of terrorism. Despite the lofty rhetoric about making the Middle East open to democracy, he has instead created a frighteningly destabilized region where the prospects for democracy are dim. It is now much more likely that stability will return to the Middle East only through the rise of new, but no less brutal, dictatorships. The region may splinter among its factions, raising ethnic nationalism and bringing even more war. That provides a fertile ground for Islamic fundamentalism and political extremism, a sure source for terrorist recruitment. Not to mention further disruption of that vital substance: oil.
The consequences of the administration’s bad decisions go even further, however. The United States has lost its ability to lead this turbulent world. With global problems ranging from nuclear proliferation to civil wars to the high price of oil, the rest of the world is desperate for effective leadership. But with other nations having little respect for the only superpower, there is no country able to lead.
Our moral authority has been undermined repeatedly, starting with the scandalous treatment of prisoners in Iraq and Cuba and the undermining of our own tradition of due process. We have failed to intervene on behalf of peace between Israel and its neighbors, something no other nation can do without us. We have not pushed for a solution to the mayhem and destruction in Darfur.
Internally, the president’s decision to spy on Americans without obtaining judicial approval shows the world we don’t follow our own democratic principles. Why should they believe in us?
It is imperative for President Bush to reverse his downward spiral at home and abroad. He can start by being brutally honest with the American people, telling us what has gone wrong in Iraq and how he intends to fix it. He can hold his hand-picked advisers accountable for the disastrous circumstances they’ve helped create. He can put resources into building civil institutions in Iraq without which democracy cannot even begin, much less survive.
The president must work to rebuild relationships with our allies and partners around the world. We cannot solve global problems on our own, particularly at a time when no one is willing to listen to us. Other countries would welcome a warming of relations, consultations on the frightening issues facing us all, and an atmosphere of mutual respect. Above all, they would welcome proposals from us to deal with the world’s major headaches and efforts to put together coalitions to implement them.
Perhaps most important, President Bush needs to surround himself with smart people, knowledgeable about the cultures, history and needs of other countries, who will question his truths and challenge his tactics, people capable of coming up with thoughtful strategies for leadership and realistic solutions to the world’s woes.
While voters may voice their dismay with this president in November, the reality is that Congress cannot lead the world. Only the president of the United States can do that. Given the major crises around the globe, this president needs to step up to that challenge.
Gail Schoettler (gailschoettler@email.msn.com) is a former U.S. ambassador, Colorado lieutenant governor and treasurer, Democratic nominee for governor and Douglas County school board member.
