General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Spin it all you want Ellen... [View all]BlueWI
(1,736 posts)Personally, I am not one to ponder too much over these psychological aspects of personality. If you're the leader of an organization, in a position that was sought after for decades, why does it matter if you're a craven opportunist, willing enabler, or however Cheney is categorized, if decisions made are as monstrous as the Iraq invasion? If you sit in the president's chair, you assume the consequences of your decisions, as do all of the people and countries affected by the fiasco in Iraq. George W. Bush gets absolutely no allowances from me on this, no matter what role Cheney played in the foolish and deadly misadventure in the Gulf.
I have personally met a number of politicians and have turned down opportunities to meet others. While I share the occasional experience of polite public interaction with elected officials and other organizational leaders whose viewpoints I loathe, there are definitely moments where I have avoided conversation or left the table because I have no desire to exchange niceties that are not genuine. Maybe it's not so easy to do this if you're Michelle Obama or Ellen, and I don't have their experience so I can't advise them. Can't say that I care for the optics, but I'll admit it's probably for the best for some of us to be polite across partisan lines. Waiting to see if that helps us in the end though - not sure it will.