At the outset, let’s make one thing clear – I would not vote for George W. Bush for dogcatcher. I think he is demonstrably the most inept President we’ve had since Herbert Hoover.
Having said that, our President is also a cool guy and is charming as hell in person. I had the privilege of meeting President Bush twice and our meetings were more than a handshake. We actually talked for a few brief moments.
You would not believe how much personal charisma the guy has. It’s funny because this never comes across the TV screen, and that’s how 99 percent of Americans get to view him. I was working a rally in Detroit and when I told the President that I am from North Carolina and he immediately started to talk about barbecue. Even better, the man knows his stuff because he asked me which style I like better, eastern NC or western NC. (As if it’s even a contest. Everyone knows that God’s barbecue is made east of the Triangle region. 
)
My brief meetings with a President who I have vigorously opposed raise an interesting question:
Why do we make such personal judgements about our political leaders?
I, for one, am sick and tired of people saying all manner of terrible things about Hillary Clinton. Many people outright refer to her as a B****. On a few message boards that I troll, many of my fellow southern males refer to her as “Hildebeast.”
By the same token, if I hear one more Democrat say that President Bush is “stupid”, I am going to go nuts. News flash – they don’t just hand out Ivy League diplomas, no matter who your family is. And whatever your view is about how much George W. lived his life cashing in on the family name – the guy still had to convince people that he was worthy of their financial investments.
Why do we do this? The only way that most voters ever get to view or hear even local candidates is via paid advertising and earned media coverage. Yet we take that extremely limited view and think we have enough information to say very personal things about people we’ve never even met.
Even if you believe (wrongly, of course ) that Hillary Clinton wants to force so-called “socialized medicine” on our country and that it will make us weaker than France, why be so personal? She (and millions of others) just has a different idea than you for the direction of this country. She’s still a nice, smart and capable person. She wants what she thinks is best for her country. And the exact same thing goes for President Bush.
This political season, let’s all take some time to fight beyond the perceptions that all of the campaigns will try and create. You don’t think that Hillary/Obama/McCain/Romney would make a good President? Fine. Tell me why. Do your homework and tell me what any given candidate’s plan will do for/to your family and back it up with some fact that didn’t come from Rush Limbaugh or the DailyKos.
Running for public office is hard, thankless work. The least that we can do as voters is make our opposition or support of a candidate based on the issues, not on personal judgements that we’re in no position to make. And if your side loses – dial the tone down a notch. Republicans survived the 1990s and Democrats have survived the first decade of the 21st Century.
But that Dick Cheney really is an S.O.B. isn’t he? 
13 responses so far ↓
Wookie // January 19, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I have a similar observation about John Edwards. Had the pleasure of meeting him a few times in person, and he couldn’t be nicer. That said, I wouldn’t vote for him for DC City Council. (And not only becuase he doesn’t have the guts to root for his alma mater)
Hag // January 19, 2008 at 6:34 pm
I’d agree with Wookie on all that. And my heart goes out to Edwards and his family, especially after Cate’s near collision with that drunk driver.
But my one extended meeting with Hillary was on the 1992 campaign trail as part of the bus tour through North Carolina and - sorry to disagree, SMD - she COMPLETELY fit the description so aptly attributed to her.
Al and Tipper were wonderful, funny people, who clearly didn’t think tof hemselves above even the lowliest intern. Bill was a force of nature - powerful, inspiring, who could make even the most critical heckler in a crowd feel ashamed. But Hillary? She came off with the empathy of a troll, as if she couldn’t be bothered by all of these people who lined roads in the middle of nowhere to wave at the caravan as it came by. She wouldn’t get off of the bus in any of the small towns. She was a beast to the staff, and when the meagerly-paid press corp all went in on a birthday gift which they presented to her outside of the bus and began seranading her, she slammed the door mid-verse of “Happy Birthday” and left their gift on the curb.
Maybe I just caught her on a bad week, but that’s what shaped my personal opinion of her.
Having said all of that I agree with SMD, that we should all be responsible enough to select the best leader based on his or her vision for the country, leadership ability, and positions on issues. But being human, it may be too much to ask of the electorate to ignore irrelevant issues that nonetheless fuel passions, like personality.
SMD -> formed an opinion about Nevada yet?
southernmaledemocrat // January 20, 2008 at 12:15 am
Hag - I was not saying that Hillary is, or is not, a you-know-what. Having met her, you are totally in a position to make that judgement. (The few times I’ve met her, she’s underwhelmed me, but seemed nice enough.) The point is, that 99 percent of the people saying that Hillary is a B****, have not met her, so how can they possibly say that?
Do a person’s politics that may differ from our own make them a [insert insult here]?
As for Nevada - I think the most interesting thing is that Obama may have lost the overall vote, but he upped his delegate count and took the lead.
I think we’re in for a shootout, and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that we could have the first brokered convention in our lifetimes.
On another note - I just got home from a HELLUVA State game tonight. GO PACK!
Wookie // January 20, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Perhaps this is a topic for a blog entry, but I’ll ask it here. Honestly - do you feel this country is ready to elect a woman or minority for president?
p.s. Go Chargers and Packers today.
Redneck // January 22, 2008 at 2:39 pm
The question of whether or not the country is ready is ridiculous - the question of whether they will or not is another thing completely. Nearly every industrialized nation, not to mention quite a few non-industrialized nation’s have elected women and ethnic minorities (minority for that nation) as leader. Of course we are ready to elect a qualified woman or minority president. Unfortunately, we probably won’t.
Redneck // January 22, 2008 at 2:41 pm
BTW, I have to disagree with SMD completely on the Bush is stupid thing. Of course Ivy League schools hand out diplomas depending on your family roots. It’s midlevel schools like GW and NC State that make you work for your degree.
Sammy Kent // January 22, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I proudly display photos of me in my home office with President Clinton and Governor Hunt (NC), two folks I’d eat a turd before voting for…both of whom were among the most amiable and down-to-earth folks I’ve ever met. I’d absolutely LOVE to play a round of 18 with Clinton, much moreso than with Bush 41.
To me the most telling example of how we as an electorate depend too much on the television image to decide our votes is the way Admiral Stockdale came across to most Americans as inept and illigitimate as a possible Vice President in his debate with Gore and Quayle. The people that really knew the Admiral or knew his story felt more comfortable with the thought of him being in charge of the country than any of the other five Presidential or VP candidates….and still felt so after the debate. But they were the very few. It is unfortunate that the qualities of integrity, strength, sound judgment, and vision don’t always come forth in a forum dedicated primarily to determining simply who can be the most glib.
DJ // January 28, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Nobody could be more glib (or smug) than that b!&@#, Hildebeast. And I fear that if elected she will make the most inept president since Hoover look like Abe freakin-Lincoln.
Really, how is calling somebody inept any different form calling them stupid or b!tc#y. It’s an opinion based largely on the fact that his decisions as Pres don’t coincide with what you (and your party) feel is right. It’s not a FACT that he’s inept, just an observation or opinion based on how you perceive the decisions he’s made.
Just don’t get me started with personal opinions of John Edwards.
southernmaledemocrat // January 29, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Yo DJ - No offense, but your post makes my point entirely.
“Glib” and “smug” are judgements of a person’s personality, are they not? I have more than a few people on my glib and smug list that after a few months of personal encounters, I was more than ready to make that judgement about.
Do you honestly think that the 30 second TV clips you see of Hillary, give you the ability to accurately judge whether she is glib or smug?
Don’t these personal judgements really just come down to a partisan choice? I mean, are there Republicans that you find to be glib or smug?
And here’s the difference in calling President Bush inept and stupid. Inept refers to his performance as President. I suppose I could have been more clear and said “President Bush’s performance has been inept.”
While you’re right that is an opinion, it is based on several gazallion facts that come from being informed during these last seven years.
Granted, even that is relative, but basing an opinion on a set of facts (however subjective those may be) is still different from basing an opinion on a perception created by 30 second clips on TV.
My point is this - you can have a well reasoned and informed debate over President Bush, with several facts that probably push it both ways.
Whatever conclusion you reach from that debate, is still better than using TV to say that someone is a bitch or is stupid.
DJ // January 31, 2008 at 1:46 pm
So you’re implying that in the last 16 years since we learned of Hildebeast as her husband was elected President we’ve only gotten to know her thru 30 sec TV clips? She has been interviewed by multiple personalities on multiple occasions, she has campaigned for senator and now for Pres, she sat with her husband as he was interviewed, and she’s traveled all over this country giving us a chance to form opinions about her and her beliefs. Because of this we know more about her than we do most of our own neighbors though we’ve met them in person. It’s no less fair to form personal opinions regarding her based on a gazillion TV appearances that were aired with the sole purpose of knowing her better (or understanding her beliefs and politics) than to form opinions of people we’ve met personally (which we do on regular basis).
And, no, this personal judgement does not come down to partisan choice. I would find her glib and smug if she were a Pub or an independent. I may base some of my political choices on partisan lines, but not my “personal” judgements. I think our country is too partisan as it is…you know that. And if the Dems changed their beliefs on the direction of healthcare and liabilty reform in this country I’d vote Dem in all honesty. I happen to like Obama in many ways. Now that the Son of a Millworker is out of the race and we don’t have to hear about two Americas anymore, I have to have somebody to pull against, and there’s nobody better than Hilliary. She is a very polarizing figure, and after W, that’s the LAST thing our struggling country needs. BTW, I will agree with you that W’s actions as Pres have been inept at best.
Hag // February 5, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Good discussion. Nice to see we can have an intelligent debate on a topic that tends to heat folks’ political and personal passions.
That is all.
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