George - Boy Cheerleader for Life

At times it seems as though our president is in denial. For instance, he claims that the recently released intelligence report that states that the war in Iraq has allowed Al Qaeda to recruit more freely doesn't actually say that. He wants to "stay the course" in Iraq, never really clarifying whether that course is reflected in the rate of spending, civilian causalities, troop casualties, or terrorist recruitment. For George, things are great.

Smarter people than me have argued that a great deal of our life is spent trying to get high school right. Working out the social dynamics and our role in groups, overcoming fears and knee-jerk reactions. Reliving past successes and hiding from past failures. In this context, George's behavior makes a great deal of sense.

If he had been a football coach in high school, he might be more interested in calling plays in Iraq. If he had been a player, he might be more interested in the reality that our troops face. But George was a cheerleader. His job was to turn his back on the game and keep up the spirits of the crowd, no matter what was happening on the field. Not even the worst defeats were an excuse to hang one's head or shout out suggestions for a play in lieu of cheers. George is boy cheerleader for life. It's just that simple.