The Myth Of Bush Listening to his Critics

Jim VandeHei's headline in Wednesday's Washington Post, "Card's Departure Seen as a Sign President Hears Words of Critics", left me scratching my head.

VandeHei justifies the headline by using the resignation of Bush's chief of staff, Andy Card, earlier today as proof. He writes:

A few weeks ago, President Bush's spokesman dismissed talk of an impending staff change as "inside Washington babble."

White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card's resignation yesterday suggests that Bush was listening.
[...]
Bush, his advisers say, has by no means changed his view of what he derisively calls the "chattering class." But the Card move is only the latest sign that -- with his presidency under the stress of low public approval ratings, an unpopular war and a stalled legislative agenda -- Bush is more often deferring to the expectations of Washington conventional wisdom.

More likely is that Bush is actually listening to Karl Rove, who is telling Bush that his tanking poll numbers will leave him set up as a lame duck president for the remainder of his term while being held responsible for destroying the Republican Party's chances of retaining total congressional dominance past the 2006 elections - jeopardizing his personal legacy. It is also further proof that Bush never strays from his personal agenda (and that of his neocon buddies) until his back if firmly against the wall and there is no other way out - witness the failed Harriet Miers nomination and the Dubai Ports Deal debacle.

The acceptance of Card's resignation ought not be seen as a newer, more open Bush. He's the same man he always has been: stubborn to the core and politically tone deaf. Don't let anyone fool you into believing that he actually listens to the voices of his critics, as VandeHei insists. The only voices he hears are those of the yes men closest to him in his inner circle and they are just as bound and determined as he is to never surrender to the will of so-called "Washington conventional wisdom" until the damage of their decisions has already doomed them into utter personal failure.

This isn't about doing what's best for America, As always, it's about doing what's best for Bush.