The terrorism high

For George Bush, it’s looking like 2001 all over again — the pre-9/11 2001.

In his first term, President Bush was off to an awful start. Down in the polls, pushing an unpopular agenda, dodging charges that he was the clueless puppet of the vice president.

Then a terrorism attack and a bullhorn changed everything. You know the cliché: September 11, 2001 changed everything. And for George Bush it did. It gave him an issue, a cause, and a reason to be. He assembled both houses of Congress and gave an electrifying speech to the nation. At that moment, he was presidential.

President Bush and the country were on a terrorism high. We were united in a common tragedy against a common enemy. The flag was in vogue. Congress was singing in unison. But it is hard to sustain that level of energy indefinitely, and fatigue began to set in.

Anyone who works with addicts will tell you, after the first “hit,” users spend their lives chasing the euphoria of that first high.

Americans have notoriously short memories, so something else had to sustain the terrorism high that buoyed the president. The answer: the Global War on Terrorism — first stop Afghanistan. After that, Iraq. Then there was the high drama of the election, which provided the perfect opportunity to remind us all about the evils of terrorism and the perils of retreat.

Now with the economy sinking, the high is wearing off, and Americans are looking at the president with sober eyes. It is starting to feel like 2001 all over again.

Forget rehab. Brace yourself for the next hit.