TIME's Functionally Illiterate Person of the Year Is...

George W. Bush!

Oh, of course! Because, remember, Man (erm...Person) of the Year is based on who was most important that year, not who was most worthy of commendation. I'd have gone with guys getting married, myself, or Jesus, or something gay like that.

What does the man himself have to say?

"I've had a lot going on, so I haven't been in a very reflective mood."

George Bush, not in a reflective mood? Hard to believe, I know...Usually, he's such a deep thinker!

But what was TIME's reasoning? According to the article:

As he says this, George W. Bush is about to set a political record. The first TIME poll since the election has his approval rating at 49%. Gallup has it at 53%, which doesn't sound bad unless you consider that it's the lowest December rating for a re-elected President in Gallup's history.

Sounds like Person of the Year material to me.

I mean, even if you want to give it to the Republicans, I would have picked Karl Rove. The success of the Republicans in Election 2004 had a lot more to do with his strategizing than anything Mumbly McMalaprop said or did. Hell, the guy can barely go out in public without giving his critics some fodder to use against him (see picture immediately below this article).