Someone put this in a time capsule, quick.
The Plank points out the breathless descriptions of a Power Line contributor who recently met with President George W. Bush:
I had the opportunity this afternoon to be part of a relatively small
group who heard President Bush talk, extemporaneously, for around forty
minutes. It was an absolutely riveting experience….
His persona is very much that of the big brother. Above all, he
was impassioned. I have never seen a politician speak so evidently from
the heart, about big issues–freedom, most of all….
He is, of course, miles above his mean-spirited liberal critics. More
than that, he clearly derives real joy from the opportunity to serve as
President and to participate in the great pageant of American history.
(No, Stephen Colbert was not guest blogging at Power Line.) For more on the great pageant of American history, see Pfaff, William, “Clash of Cultures: Globalization & the March of Western Values.”
I’m not sure what this eyewitness account is supposed to prove. We know that sex offenders and other addicts have a charming, appealing side. Otherwise they would never worm their way into the hearts and souls of their victims.
I have no reason to believe that the president, as a man, is not genuinely attractive, inspiring, and brotherly. If that were enough to make a president, maybe several million Americans could hold the job.
The problem is not with Bush’s personality, but with his policies.
“He is, of course, miles above his mean-spirited liberal critics.”
Would that he would be miles away from his mean-spirited advisors and handlers.
I also think President Bush is a decent individual, with an admirable self-deprecating sense of humor, but as Todd noted, such attributes aren’t enough to make a president, at least an effective one.
What has always troubled me most is Bush’s insularity, and I think his often disastrous foreign policies flow in part from that. I was almost shocked to learn when he was elected for his first term that he had NEVER traveled outside the U.S. That’s right, never. Not all Americans can afford such an opportunity, of course, but he was born into a family of means and had been the part owner of a major league baseball team. He certainly had the $$$$ and ample opportunity for foreign travel. So why didn’t he take advantage of the opportunity? I can only guess it was (is?) a lack of curiosity about the rest of the world. Even recently, when he was returning from the G8 conference in Russia, he made a comment–perhaps half in jest–that he dislikes sleeping in a bed other than his own for more than a day.
As anyone who has had the opportunity to spend extended time overseas knows (I had the privilege of living and working in a Third World country for three years), it is an invaluable experience to see the U.S. from outside its borders, and even more important and formative to see it through the eyes of non-Americans. It is hard to believe our president never availed himself of that opportunity when he could have enjoyed it without all the pomp, circumstance, security, and, therefore, artificial experience that goes with his present job.
Actually, as of 2000, Bush had traveled to Guatamela, France, Bermuda, Italy, Israel, Egypt, Gambia, England, Scotland, Mexico, Canada, and China. See http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/17/bush.world.traveler/
Interesting, Stuart. I remember reading about the president-elect’s lack of foreign travel in a reputable magazine, perhaps Time or Newsweek, I can’t remember where. Of course, the media makes mistakes, too. It’s interesting, however, that the lack of overseas travel story continues to have legs, as in these comments about Bush by Bill Maher (admittedly not a Bush admirer):
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:pJ3FUGzErAgJ:www.pacificviews.org/weblog/archives/000173.html+bush+%2B+%22never+traveled%22+%2B+overseas&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=11
When I get a moment, I plan to look into the issue more, but if the story you linked to was correct, then I also stand corrected.