Baghdad Layover

I wasn’t going to comment on Bush’s Thanksgiving Day escapade, but people are making such a fuss over it that I will.
On one side people are using the trip to lob their usual charges of politicalization and whatever else opponents say about the guy in charge. On the other side people using this episode as an opportunity to heap lavish praise upon their guy.
How should one view the trip?
Here’s a thought: how about viewing it for what it was–a two-and-a-half-hour visit to show appreciation to some troops. Bush wasn’t on the front line leading the troops through enemy fire, nor was he broadcasting live to the Republican National Convention. He simply flew in, met some people, and flew back out.
Not only have the motives for this visit been over-analyzed and over-hyped, but so has the fallout. I actually heard one “military analyst” state that in one fell swoop Bush had changed the entire political situation in Iraq. Really? Simply by sharing turkey with the troops? If the problems in Iraq were that easily fixed, Bush should have been there a long time ago.
I can understand bloggers and political types dwelling on this story, because that’s the kind of thing they talk about. But why have the news networks been falling all over themselves on this? Granted the holiday weekend is a slow news period and all, but is this and Jacko the only thing left to talk about?
My guess is that the Washington press corps, which likes to perpetuate the illusion that they are on top of everything, is in disbelief that they got snookered by the White House. Imagine that–the most powerful man in the world being able to pull something off without the approval of his media entourage. I guess there’s still some sense of order on Pennsylvania Avenue.