For comparison:

http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/papers/1992/92082800.html

It's interesting to see that W's father answered the questions. He didn't say "we're problem solvers, we solve problems!" He answered with real information, about WHY things couldn't be done.

One thing I notice is different, Bush Jr. would never be caught in a situation where he would have to directly address criticism like his Dad did in that interview. But yes, some people were saying that Andrew was what lost Bush Sr. his re-election.

Stil reading...

You generally don't critique yourself while still in office either. If he were to do that the Dems would run endless press conferences bashing his administration with the quotes.

The article by Bush Sr was a press conference held while he was still in office. I'm not sure if you're statement is just a general statement Galain, or if you're referring to the article I quoted.

It is possible to say that a system is broken and things need to be improved without necessarily saying "I'm a bad president". Taking responsibility for fixing what is obviously broken is a sign of leadership, not of weakness.

The one problem with never admiting to errors is that everyone else knows what you did was an error, so you look out of touch with reality. So how do you trust someone that makes errors but refuses to acknowledge them? How do you know they're not just going to continue to make errors because they haven't even internally acknowledged them. Reevaluating what you are doing, the decisions you've made, correcting the course, is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of sanity.

Sometimes an actual apology works too. It can clear the air, even in politics.