by Dean Hartwell
If President watched the Jefferson-Jackson day dinner, he probably had a sinking feeling about the next election.
It wasn’t the series of Democratic speakers, mostly presidential aspirants, who discussed the wisdom of working with allies in addressing Iraq. The President has his mind made up to go to war, with or without the allies.
It wasn’t the Democrats’ criticism of Bush’s handling of the budget or the vows of some to rescind his tax cuts for the wealthy. Bush once exclaimed that in his administration, there would be “tax cuts, so help me God!”
It wasn’t the promises about different domestic policies, like affordable universal health care. The president likely doesn’t care about such ideas.
It was the fact that each of the Democrats, most notably Governor Howard Dean of Vermont, spoke clearly, even eloquently, with little reference to TelePrompTers.
Imagine presidents who can communicate effectively on their own. Imagine a president who knows the subjects about which they speak well enough to set aside notes. Imagine, in other words, a president who can think on his or her feet.
Then consider what happens
when President Bush veers away from his TelePrompTer and tries to think for
himself:
At a Ford Theatre event, President Bush went to see
Stevie Wonder and others perform. When
Wonder sat down at the keyboard center stage, President Bush in the front row
stood up, smiled and started waving at Wonder!
Welsh singer Charlotte Church met Bush, who asked
her what state Wales was in.
To a Nashville, Tennessee audience - "There's an old...saying in Tennessee...I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says Fool me once... Shame on...Shame on you...Fool me...Can't get fooled again."
An articulate president like
John Kennedy or Bill Clinton can inspire us to wonder how we can make society
better. An inarticulate president like
Bush can do little more than tell us they never bothered to wonder.