President Bush has been a focus of attention of the Internet in a serious way since 9/11. I am not saying I agree with all the decisions President Bush has made during his tenure, but almost regardless of what he did, there was going to be a crushing wave of criticism, and not necessarily from the television and newspaper pundits. It is worthwhile to note that this criticism does not have nationality, either. It is as easy for a Brazilian to watch and comment on the president of the United States as it is for me.
I am sure that Conrad Black can attest to this, as his articles for the National Post are published on the Internet. Anyone with a keyboard can easily attack him, using his popularity to make their comments (often snide and without factual evidence, as blind comments are often wont to be) available to a much wider audience than they could garner themselves.
As it became easy to follow, in disturbing minutia, the exploits of the office of the President, obsession with the man grew exponentially. Once Bush is out of office and back on his ranch in the little town of Crawford, Texas, public opinion will become less harsh, if only because he is no longer in the limelight. Perhaps then a serious examination of his time in office might begin.
I wonder how President-elect Obama will fare in this dog-eat-dog world of 24/7 Internet-based obsession? He and his team used the power of the Internet to dazzling success during his campaign, easily routing John McCain on the virtual field of competition. Will this mean that President Obama will be able to harness the terrific power of the Internet to further his goals, or will it fall back on him like a collapsing ocean wave, bringing America’s next president’s poll numbers down, much like his predecessor?
