Presidential emotion.
Conservatives were quick, and still are quick, to criticize former President Clinton for making appearances at seemingly every emotion-laden, media-drenched national moment. Conservatives salute President Bush for bringing the stiff upper lip back to Washington, DC, even though Bush has played the same emotional counseling role as President Clinton did. Andrew Sullivan, the noted conservative journalist, today opines on his web log about this very practice of President Bush’s, as most recently exemplified by Bush’s few comments on the horrifying sniper case, now thankfully brought to a conclusion:
One difference bwteen [sic] this president and the last is that Bush doesn’t feel the need to be the country’s permanent emotional counselor, or to involve himself in every issue or event. Yesterday he made brief but sensible comments and showed that the feds were doing what they could to help. Beyond that, this is a police job. Period.
(*) That’s a nice thought, but the facts get in the way. President Bush has played this same kind of emotional support role, interjecting himself into national events, most recently in this summer’s dramatic and commendable mine rescue. Quoting USA Today from 6 August 2002:
President Bush saluted the courage of nine rescued miners Monday and said their survival is symbolic of an American spirit that will defeat terrorism and a sagging economy.
‘’I believe that what took place here in Pennsylvania really represents what’s best in our country, what I call the spirit of America,'’ Bush told a crowded Green Tree Fire House.
He later attended a fundraiser for the state’s GOP gubernatorial candidate and raised $1 million.
Bush met with the coal miners who were rescued last week from a flooded mine in Somerset, about 60 miles away. The men were trapped for three days in the Quecreek Mine as hundreds of rescuers worked to free them.
‘’It is the determined spirit of America and our optimism and our ability to solve problems, which will help us deal with the economic downturn,'’ he said. ‘’Working together, we can achieve big objectives and big goals.'’
Bush’s remarks came on a day of falling stock prices.
(†) The mine rescue was a matter of state, local, and federal agencies working together, just like in the sniper case. Yet there is President Bush, acting the part of the nation’s emotional counselor. This difference that Andrew Sullivan detects is real, but where President Clinton tried to comfort the grieving, President Bush scores a political point off the near-tragedy and heroics of other people.
Just 818 more days.