Hey, America: Listen to Bob

Woodward's book "War" paints a frightening picture of our world

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell was well into his Monday night interview with the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, arguably the greatest reporter of our era, discussing his new book, “War,” when the two got to a place that made me wince. Here’s why:

Once Russia and Vladimir Putin had decided to invade Ukraine and President Joe Biden had made the appropriate decision to step in and help, the next step was key. Yes, the United States was going to help the Ukrainian democracy. But how much?

“This is the kind of territorial conquest that we haven’t seen since World War II, “ Woodward said, “he does not back down. He is leading a country that has lost its way. The idea that somehow think because of history and you know, I want this country and you can take it. And he has led Russia into one of its darkest periods. I mean, hundreds of thousands of Russians have died in this war right now…so we sit in this important moment in history. What’s the outcome?”

The author chats with Bob Woodward about teaching journalism to high schoolers.

So as a country — and this is what made me wince — whoever is our President has to decide just how much to get involved. It’s a tactical, strategic, thoughtful decision that has to be mulled over, discussed, debated, dissected. With Russia threatening to use nuclear weapons, particularly so if things go downhill, a global war could erupt. Who is going to blink first?

President Joe Biden is an old man, sure. But in this case, he was wise. We had to find the right balance. We couldn’t do too much, we couldn’t do too little.

“President Biden (made) it very clear to his national security team,” Woodward said. “You know what, we win too well and Putin will use nuclear tactical weapons. We don’t win enough, then we’re in a situation where they’re controlling Ukraine…”

In other words, it took judgment. Patience. Experience. Wisdom. And listening to Woodward, who has been around the block a few times, talking about this gravity of this issue, how eerily close we could come to all-out nuclear war, what hit me was this: What if Donald Trump had to make that decision?

Is his old pal Putin, thanking him for the COVID tests, going to back down? Or is he going to challenge the scattershot guy who’s talking about Haitians eating dogs, worrying about being electrocuted, massive deportations, Hannibal Lecter, using the military to enact revenge across our country?

There are many things to detest about Donald Trump. How he’s dumbed down our political speeches, raised the level of hate and fear among us, particularly targeting immigrants, he’s heightened our distrust of all media, putting every news outlet on a level with Fox. Hey, ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS didn’t have to pay millions for lying. Not yet anyway. Fox did, touting THE BIG LIE, which if recent filings by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith hold up, indicate that Trump and his people knew all along they’d lost, that the January 6 attempted coup was planned well in advance.

Sure, Trump’s Supreme Court gave him immunity for “official” acts but is planning to overthrow a government an “official” act?

But put all that nasty stuff aside, think about what Woodward and O’Donnell were talking about? Trying to find the right balance to help Ukraine and avoid World War III with the desperate leader of a sinking ship who has the red button within his reach? How do you pull that off and keep the world whole?

It made me think about George H. W. Bush, a one-term President who likely won’t go down in history as one of our greatest. I didn’t vote for him, definitely thought he underachieved as a President, but I did admire him for one thing: the way he handled himself when the Berlin Wall came down.

His predecessor, Ronald Reagan, of course, made a Hollywood production out of his speech in Berlin, calling for the wall to be torn down. It’s all over YouTube, probably plays non-stop in the Reagan Presidential Library.

But Bush, experienced in diplomacy, took a much more low-key approach once the wall was finally toppled. He simply said he was “very pleased.”

It was subtle, understated, tasteful, even. Instead of getting up in Russia’s grill, rubbing it in, which some people in America wanted, President Bush thought about how they would react, their feelings of national pride and reacted with class and grace and dignity. There’s a word we don’t hear much these days.

There are many things in our country that concern us right now with the election a few weeks away. Whoever sits in the Oval Office, making decisions that not only impact us but the whole wide world, ought to matter to us.

And if we listen to Bob Woodward, who’s spent a lifetime watching, covering Presidents, his take is this:

“Donald Trump is not only the wrong man for the Presidency, he is unfit to lead the country. Trump was far worse than Richard Nixon, the probably criminal President. Trump was the most reckless and impulsive president in American history and is demonstrating the very same character as a Presidential candidate in 2024.”

Listen to Bob.