George W Bush's Farewell Address

Since George Washington printed a letter in the papers as his "Farewell Address" after 8 years of governance, it has become somewhat of a tradition for presidents to give some sort of presentation of their parting thoughts. Last night, George W Bush gave his. I will admit that I did not watch it live, but used the linked text of the speech to review his farewell. I would argue the key paragraph is this...

As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before Nine-Eleven. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our Nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.

This is the Bush presidency, at its worst and best, in a single sentence. Every unexplained decision, every failure of philosophy, every frustration for liberals and conservatives alike is explained by this. For GWB, 9/11 was the defining moment for everything that came after.

It will be interesting to see what a post-9/11 president looks like in Obama. Or if he will be eventually pressed into the same mold.