The image was striking, President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama standing side by side at the 9/11 Memorial, formerly known as Ground Zero, the main site of the attacks that changed the fate of both men.
The two are arguably the two most divisive Presidents in modern history, as liberals detest Bush and conservatives feel the same about Obama. Both men saw their job approval ratings slip under 40% because of wars in response to the attacks and the economy those wars weakened.
The site of both men standing shoulder to shoulder symbolized the united front in the war on terror. The two, from opposite ends of the political spectrum, shared a similar foreign policy. President Bush started two wars, kept prisoners without due process at Guantanamo Bay and passed the Patriot Act. There are still troops in Iraq and President Obama tripled the levels in Afghanistan, Guantanamo is still open, the Patriot Act is still in place and there have been drone strikes on 4 additional countries. In many ways, President Obama not only embraced, but accelerated the Bush Doctrine.
The picture also symbolized the unity we all felt after the attacks of 9/11. Remember? The Patriotism, the flags, the feeling of being one in a common cause. It was back again yesterday. Now I am not naïve enough to think it will last. I watched the Republican debate tonight and there are signs it is already gone. The country is once again divided. But the image made me think of what we might accomplish if we could come together in a common cause once again for more than a day.
