Notes Defeating the Taliban: One Joke at a Time

Abstract

Throwing shoes at the President
While there were many reasons for the Republican loss in the 2008 election, one reason was the ridicule poured on former President George Bush. Whether by Jon Stewart's The Daily Show1 or Will Ferrell2 impersonations, few could see Bush in any serious light. He had become a comic figure, even tragic, such that a journalist in Iraq could consider throwing his shoe at him. The story of ‘most powerful person on the planet’ had been transformed into ‘inept leader.’