An All-Time Low

Tonight marks the first televised interview George W. Bush has given since he left the White House in January. I'd like to--if it's even close to possible--leave politics aside for one moment, at least my own. Last week, an excerpt of the interview, with Matt Lauer, was released, and Bush revealed what he called his all-time lowest moment while in office: his being called, in all essence, a racist by Kanye West when the rapper said on live television that Bush didn't care about black people due to his weak and slow response to Hurricane Katrina.

Now, I appreciate that being called a racist isn't a high point for anyone, whether that person is or isn't actually a racist. But I'm never going to be able to grasp how that could logically be Bush's low point. How about the attacks of September 11th, the day that not only defined Bush's presidency but has defined the entire country? How about never being able to catch Osama Bin Laden, hoisting a proverbial head for all the townspeople to see? How about, you know, Hurricane Katrina itself? Maybe Bush could have offered some self-deprecation and taken, as his all-time low, the decisions or lack thereof that he made in the aftermath of the hurricane?

Kanye West's response was as baffling as Bush's; he used the occasion to respond to Bush's mention by saying that, you know, this was kind of like him being called out by fans and those in the media when he interrupted Taylor Swift at an awards show. Again, politics aside, let's just agree that Kanye West randomly cutting in front of Taylor Swift is nothing like Kanye West calling George W. Bush racist for his response to Hurricane Katrina. Whether you agree or not, one is a little more trivial than the other. But both statements point to West and Bush sharing at least one thing in common: everything has to be about them. Bush is asked for his lowest moment in office, and instead of choosing something that affected hundreds, thousands, millions of people, he chooses something that affected him and, pretty much, only him. West's response turns away from what Bush says into how people ragged on him for being a douchebag. I realize that all public figures, are not so egotistical, but apparently, it really helps.