The Incredible Shrinking Bush Presidency
The Dallas Morning News had a great article on today's front page that showed how much Dubya has shrunk lately. Here is part of it on their website. The web story cuts out two paragraphs about the protest. Those paragraphs really changed the warm, fuzzy photo-op flavor of the story. Then the environmental groups have their ducks in a row and tear Dubya's proposal to shreds. Then we get to:
After his tour of the fire devastation, Mr. Bush told reporters, "What the critics need to do is come and stand right where I stand."
Saying the fires have wrought economic damage on ranchers, farmers and other residents, he said, "There are a lot of people in this part of the state that can't find work because we don't properly manage our forests."
Such expressions of presidential concern, combined with policy proposals, are a relatively recent creation but have become permanent part of politics in the television age, analysts said.
"Mostly, they show they care," said Charles O. Jones, a political scientist from the University of Wisconsin. "There is an expectation that the president – if not showing up personally – should at least express some concern."
Mr. Bush appears to be more comfortable with the concept now than earlier in his presidency, analysts added.
Just months after he took office, for example, he declined to attend the returning ceremony for U.S. military personnel who had been detained in China after their surveillance plane crash-landed on a Chinese island. And he did not visit Cincinnati after race riots last year.
Aides said that Mr. Bush wanted to give the servicemen time to reunite with their families and that he met with them later. And they noted that he has spoken out frequently on racial tolerance.
And then:
Smaller events, such as forest fires, require case-by-case discretion when it comes to presidential involvement, analysts said. No one wants to overdo it.
"Being appropriate to the moment is very important," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a specialist in political communication. "Does it look appropriate? Or does it look crass and exploitative?"
Reading the story, I got the feeling that Dubya has been reduced to using people's misery as a vehicle to shill for inappropriate pro-business policies. To me, it does look crass and exploitative. Back when the troops returned from China, I read several commentaries about Bush doesn't need to hog the spot light like Clinton did. Now Bush is reduced to do "I care" events in an attempt to sell his uncompassionate policies.
10:00:07 PM 
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