Paul and George

Okay, this is almost too easy. . .

Name the top 5 reasons that Bush is the Paul Hamm of Presidents:

5. They both "won" because of disputed counts.

4. They both had appelate tribunals that refused to review the substance of the dispute because of timing issues.

3. The legitimacy of both victories was questioned (see supra 4 and 5).

2. The arrogance of both has angered the rest of the world.

And the number 1 reasons that Bush is the Paul Hamm of Presidents . . .

1. Both, by refusing to share his victory, have tarnished their legacy.

Paul Hamm refused to share his gold medal. Who is this guy's business manager? He destroyed his endorsement potential. Would you buy a product endorsed by this guy? Hamm never realized that you can become more famous by giving things away. Think Linus Torvald or Pincess Di.

Even more important, Bush refused to share his presidency. With so much happening since 911, its hard to remember that there was a brief moment just after the Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore when many Democrats and Republicans were urging W. to respond to his legitimacy deficit by, well, being a "uniter not a divider." Bush might have called for a unity presidency that would promote a more bi-partisan agenda. But the nomination of Ashcroft pretty quickly nipped that idea in the bud.