Hmmm.

[emmagrant01]

Has Bush fallen off the wagon? Granted, it's rampant speculation and probably not true, but it makes you think "What if...?"

Everyone who knows me knows I dislike the man intensely, but this would be pretty tragic if it turned out to be true. I'm not an alcoholic, so I don't presume to put myself in his shoes -- but for his sake (and all of ours), I really hope it isn't. :-/

Comments

[littleroo27.livejournal.com]

if he DID fall off the wagon, I certainly hope he helps himself AND all of us by seeking help. It is VERY hard to stick with something like that in times of stress and even more so in the public eye! I have noticed he has huge dark circles under his eyes and just has looked more and more ill lately... A permenant hangover would do that.

[kerryblaze.livejournal.com]

But Bush isn't an alcoholic?! I'm being snarky there. It bothers me to no end that he won't say that he is an alcoholic. At least, not publicly.

[princesskirsty.livejournal.com]

*shakes head*

there is someone to have faith in!! I didn't know he was an alcoholic...is that true?

um...i've been watching the news and wondering about you, you're from texas right? are you gonna be ok with this hurricane? i don't even know you that well but u keep popping into my head when i see stuff on the news....

[sorion.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know, but it does make sense.
He often reacts in a manner that most people would call unreasonable... And not only in a "maybe he's just stupid" way.

[lauramcewan.livejournal.com]

You know I'm the last person to defend the man and his idiocy, and as you said, it's rampant speculation, but that article is just WAY too full of unnamed sources and 'possible' drug use for me to take too seriously right now.

I'm hoping that if it *is* true, he does get help because he's got an awful lot of us to be responsible for.

[tipgardner.livejournal.com]

Sad if it's true, both for the States and Bush.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

He says he kicked booze all by himself (well, I think he credits his faith), and most recovering alcoholics I have known needed a LOT more help and support than that. *sigh*

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

He's never said it publicly, really? I didn't know that.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

He's supposedly a recovering alcoholic, has been for years.

A couple of days ago the hurricane was projected to come straight to where I live, but then it turned for the east. So we're probably just going to get some rain. :-)

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

You know, I'd rather feel sorry for him than to dislike him as much as I do. I don't like feeling this way about someone. So weirdly, if this turned out to be true, it would make me feel something different for him, which would possbily be a good thing.

That made no sense, did it? :-P

It would be nice to know that some of his bizarre and obnoxious behavior was due to something other than his personality and beliefs. Ironically, his approval numbers would probably go up out of sympathy. I still think that's what happened with Clinton -- he got impeached and his numbers went up. People felt sorry for him, or could identify with him, or something. Seeming human can help a president, IMO.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Yeah -- when you cite the Enquirer as a source, that sorta turns me off from the start. But then I got to thinking: that website is a very reputable one, and I have trusted it as a news source for years.

And what if it were true, by some stretch? What would that mean? What would happen?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. :-/

[sorion.livejournal.com]

That made no sense, did it? :-P

Yes, it did... Though I feel differently ^-^'
Should it actually be true, I'd be even more angry. Even an idiot like him should know better than to take the responsibility of the most powerful man in the world, when he has an alcohol problem.

[wendy.livejournal.com]

Surely not. I mean, even if it was true, his PR people would never, ever allow that to remain in print. (which makes me think it isn't true.)

Hmmm. Must watch for developments.

That explains it

[forever-silky.livejournal.com]

If he is, it explains a lot

[willysunny.livejournal.com]

Neither did I. I watched all those biographies on the man during both elections. They all said he drank dangerously until Laura threatened to leave him.

[kerryblaze.livejournal.com]

He's never said the word alcoholic. He said he abused alcohol and that he was able to get it under control. My father was an alcoholic and when he stopped drinking, he was then a "dry drunk" because he would never admit that he was an alcoholic or what he needed to change in his life. I've heard people say that Bush exhibits the behaviors of a "dry drunk."

[slayra.livejournal.com]

Hmm... sorry to ask you this, but why not? Do you mean to say that they would forbit it or something (just asking because I really don't know much about the press in the US... but I always thought it was mighty powerful in some way)??? :|

[wendy.livejournal.com]

They would call it slander and demand that it be removed and if it wasn't then they'd issue a statment of their own rebutting it.

At least...that's what I would do if it was one of my clients.

The press is very powerful IMO, but the PR people (of which I am one -- not one of GWB's, just one in general) manage the message quite a bit.

[slayra.livejournal.com]

Well, if it was true it would be... scary yes. An alcoholic is hardly the better choice for a "job" as demanding as it is being president of the United States. And we can't forget that the US have influence on the rest of the world, even if indirectly.

But it could also be pure speculation. Alright there are strange signs, but some of them can be because of stress and all that. Stress is a very dangerous illness and Bush has been under a lot of pressure. Look at all the awful things that happened during his presidency! It's a lot to take really.

Not that I am defending him (I still think he is awfully narrow-minded) I just don't underestimate how difficult and wearisome his job is. Maybe he is just not "president material"? :/

[slayra.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I see. It makes sense, I guess. :) So perhaps they aren't doing anything because it's probably just rumors at this time.

[wendy.livejournal.com]

*nods* That'd be my guess. 'Course it's just my guess. :)

[maeglinyedi.livejournal.com]

I can't really comment on Bush drinking again, since that's all speculation. But this does worry me:

the White House physician had placed the President on anti-depressants.

If that's true, and Bush is depressed, I'm very worried for the USA. Because no depressed person should be allowed to run a country. And I'm speaking of experience here, since I'm suffering from depression. When you're depressed enough you need medication, your judgement on anything is very, very off.

[gryfindormia.livejournal.com]

You might be interested in this video of GWB drunk at a wedding.

Oh, and this is a bit of a tangent, but just read the first few paragraphs of , then look at the date in the top right corner, then remember Bush saying that "we didn't think this could happen".

[sunnymi.livejournal.com]

I feel like an absolute ghoul because the first thought I had was that it might be a better thing for the sane people in this country, if he in fact is abusing alcohol and drugs, to just OD and get it over with. I know! That is a horrible thing to wish for someone, but the thought of what he could do with the rest of his term in office really scares me. He seems to just have the fundamentalists coming out in droves to stomp on the rights of others by forcing their beliefs on the rest of us. Of course, the vice president may be worse, I must confess I don't really know that much about him.

[littleroo27.livejournal.com]

so so true. most people can't do it on faith alone. Although, my grandfather quit smoking AND drinking cold turkey (not at the same time) and never started again! But, he was a much better man than bush, lol.

[littleroo27.livejournal.com]

it's not slanderous unless they say he IS an alcoholic. They are stating a case for the logical possibility that that is the case, but are not presenting it as fact. The government could not LEGALLY take it down, though I wouldn't put it past them.

[wendy.livejournal.com]

And I didn't mean to insinuate that they'd DEMAND it be removed even though that is what it seems I actually did say on re-read. I mostly just meant that they wouldn't let a blatant lie like that go unchallenged or unaddressed. Again, just IMO.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Actually, I would trust the Enquirer a leeetle more than Capitol Hill Blue, which is full of wilful disinformation - you're a political operative, you want to play a dirty trick, SOP is you arrange for stuff to be leaked to CHB. The Enquirer scooped the mainstream press constantly during the OJ trial, the JonBenèt Ramsey case, etc. Which doesn't mean they have the same quality sources in politics that they have for crime, so this may well be like 75% of their contents - utter rubbish.

But I'm going to ask around a bit about this.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

The White House communications office would never dignify the Enquirer or CHB with a rebuttal - it would put the story in play.

[wendy.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more about addressing the message versus the source, but YES. You are absolutely correct.

I'm backpeddling too much in this thread, which means:

-I'm not expressing myself well.
-I don't know as much on the topic as I thought I did.
-I'm arguing out of my league.

:)

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't think too much of it - I'm a journo myself, so it's a bit of a reflex. The thing is, the New York Times would never print a story staring with: "Yesterday the National Enquirer reported that President Bush is battling alcoholism again" - but they would jump at a story starting: "Yesterday White House Press spokesman Scott McLellan denied a tabloid story alleging that President Bush..." etc. etc.

[wendy.livejournal.com]

*nods*

You're exactly right.

[spacetweenears.livejournal.com]

On the behavior descriptions - the bullying, the anger at being questioned, people around him not knowing how he'll react - that's just hitting a bit too close to home for me (close family member who denies he has an alcohol problem).

If this is the case, then I am truly fearful as his "decision making" could get even more detrimental than it already has. The "says one thing and does another" is only going to get worse.

*shakes head, holds back tears of frustration*

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

God. And he's the most powerful man in the world. Someone save us. If it's true, I do feel badly for him. Get the man some help!!! (And out of office, too!)

[cheshyre]

Couple good links I've seen.

First of all, folks have pointed out that the Enquirer wins libel suits and have looked into how the Enquirer sources their stories, and say they're pretty confident: http://susiemadrak.com/2005/09/23/08/54/standing-behind-their-story/ for example.

On Bush as a dry drunk

Could this story be cover for something worse?