So in 2008 when the NATO members got together and voted to offer an "open door" policy to Georgia and Ukraine, those two countries opened the door themselves?

If the applicant countries were driving it, why didn't Ukraine and Georgia join NATO in 2009?

Because the open door invitation was only meant as a provocation to Russia.

Come on, man. In order for a country to join NATO, every member country needs to vote YES. That means it is up to NATO and not the applicant.

You cannot make the argument that "Ukraine was never a threat because everyone knows that Ukraine had no REAL chance of joining NATO" while at the same time saying that the applicant country (in this case Ukraine) is the one in the driver's seat.