A kinder, gentler Bush reinvents self for 2004
WASHINGTON -- Like the Social Security lockbox, the furor over Bob Jones University's dating policies, and questions about the appropriateness of locking lips with your spouse on the convention podium, George W. Bush's good humor seems to have disappeared since the 2000 election. Remember the great joshing Bush who gave everyone on his campaign plane nicknames and gamely put on a Chicago-mobster suit to make fun of Regis Philbin's wardrobe during an appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly"? Remember how he disarmed Al Gore by responding to a debate point about how Bush had tried to limit the number of children eligible for a health-insurance program by saying, "If he's trying to allege that I'm a hardhearted person and I don't care about children, he's absolutely wrong"?
The Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks famously firmed up Bush, erasing the last vestiges of his frat-boy charm. Such a transformation makes psychological sense, and the burdens of the presidency exact a different toll on every occupant, from the sudden silvering of Bill Clinton's hair to the accordion folds on Lyndon B. Johnson's face.
But Bush's transformation is noteworthy because both Republicans and Democrats seem to be counting on the idea that Bush's ability to connect with the common man will be a huge asset in his reelection fight. Even Democratic strategists say they're expecting Bush to come off as friendlier than Howard Dean, more down to earth than John F. Kerry, and funnier than Richard A. Gephardt, and are planning their campaigns accordingly. Many in the GOP, too, are expecting Bush's personal appeal to be a factor in the campaign.
But have any of these people actually seen Bush smile in the last year or two?
Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, Bush performed one of the truly great acts of presidential leadership with his heartfelt expressions of gratitude to rescue workers in New York. But his aides seem to have taken the wrong message from the event, believing that Bush comes off best when surrounded by people in uniform. That has led to a series of speeches before military groups, where he's overwhelmed his expressions of gratitude with ever-greater amounts of cowboy rhetoric.
In some ways, these speeches show Bush at his most zealous and least presidential, such as the one two weeks ago at Fort Stewart in Georgia where he used the Army cheer "Hooah" and cued the audience to chant along when he recounted his victories over the Taliban and Saddam Hussein's regime. These expressions of confidence, bordering on cockiness, haven't changed as the public grows more concerned about the situation in Iraq. And that fact alone may be making Bush seem more distant, and less responsive, to the average American.
Last night, Bush appeared on FOX News for an all-business interview with Brit Hume, and today he makes his case for a new Iraq resolution to a skeptical United Nations. Neither showcase is likely to exhibit the personable Bush of the 2000 debates.
Every presidential election since the Watergate aberration of 1976 has been won by the candidate voters would most like to invite into their living rooms. And the most successful presidents have, through their personalities, left imprints on their times that went well beyond their policies.
John and Jacqueline Kennedy seemed to step out of the White House and into the pages of early-'60s Vogue magazine. The Kennedy style -- boating and touch football by day, high arts at night -- was admired across the nation. Later, in the 1980s, Ronald and especially Nancy Reagan's high style, sometimes approaching excess, made them plausible walk-ons for two of the most popular television shows of the era, "Dallas" and "Dynasty".
In times of crisis, other presidents have built bonds forged through hardships. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fireside Chats are still remembered fondly by those who were children during the Depression, as if Roosevelt were a member of the household. Dwight D. Eisenhower wasn't president during World War II, but his fatherly demeanor as the commander of the Army in Europe only ripened during his presidency.
The 9/11 attacks and the Iraq invasion may have established Bush as a defender of the nation, but he's not a reassuring presence like Roosevelt or Eisenhower. He asks for respect, citing the tough decisions he's made, but has yet to stake a deeper claim on the hearts and minds of the country.
Bush allows only distant glimpses of himself at his ranch. Laura Bush is the lowest-profile first lady since Pat Nixon, or perhaps even Bess Truman.
In fact, Bush's own personality has been Trumanesque, and therein may be a new model for the Bush reelection effort: When the personal charm is missing, go on the offensive. Truman did in 1948 and battled his way to a legendary victory.
