I recently had a conversation with a liberal lady who voted for Obama. We were comparing the performances of Obama and Bush as it related to a soldier. I told her that when President Bush quit golfing while troops he sent to war in the Gulf were fighting for this country it meant much to me. It wasn’t the respect he showed us, it was the symbolism.
President Bush showed us that he really cared about the people he sent to war. I doubt that any of us who were in Iraq or Afghanistan would have ever even considered the President playing golf as not supporting the troops. Just the fact that President Bush publically thought about us and the mission we were performing meant something to me. It told me that he was not only the man who sent us to war, but he was really one of us. We felt that President Bush took his job and responsibilities seriously. He showed us that he respected us and the mission we were performing.
On the other hand, nothing seems to prevent President Obama from playing golf while situations continue to escalate all over the world. At least some of them may require military action where soldiers, sailors and airmen will risk and in some cases lose their lives. His actions tell us that his main concern is him and not the people he sent to war.
While golfing is an insignificant activity and may be a needed relief from a grueling schedule, what President Bush did was symbolic of his personal values. Maybe playing golf while “Rome” burns is symbolic, too. Needless to say, the liberal lady didn’t understand.
Randy recently retired from the Army with the rank of Colonel. His military specialty was environmental science and civil affairs. Randy has completed his doctorate of management and has become involved in local politics.