Who Would You Rather Have a Beer With?

Drinking with the Prez... -- Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
As I recall, the operative question in both the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections was “Who would you rather have a beer with?”. W. Bush was seen as a folksy, accessible “one of us” type guy. Gore was characterized by the Bush camp as an effete, politically correct, enviro-actionary snob. Kerry was similarly seen as a patrician, elitist, rich man who was more taken with Maybach automobiles than with middle class issues.

The fact is that the Bush family is one of the oldest, wealthiest, most “patrician” families in America. W. Bush is worth millions and he’s also a Harvard graduate. He did spend a great portion of his early years in Midland, Texas which probably helped give shape to his Texas twang. His slightly crossed eyes, which convey the opposite of intellect, can probably be credited to some unusual combination of chromosomes from his parents, George and Barbara Bush.

It was with particular satisfaction in 2004 that conservative pundits publicized statistics that most Americans (in the thrall of shows like American Idol and Survivor Fiji) would rather take a car ride or share a frosted mug with Bush than with Kerry. I will admit myself that an American President should be convivial and approachable; never did I think however that the requirements for this noble office would devolve only to that. I will also admit there is a distinction between the qualities of being book-smart and people-smart – we’ve had Presidents who amply exhibited one or the other, sometimes both. Reagan and Clinton were people smart – Carter was probably more of a wonkish policy nerd. W. Bush, regrettably seems to lack both qualities; his Texas macho is far from showing the personal, people-smart touch; he’s always lacked intellectual curiosity in the extreme.

A writer for the New York Times (can’t recall his name, maybe Paul Krugman) recently referred to the Bush trifecta:
• Iraq War
• Katrina disaster
• September 2008 Market Meltdown

To be fair, the Clinton administration got the ball rolling on thrift loans. But it took eight years of a self-regulated derivatives-loving Wall Street to get where we are right now. If I could travel back in time, there are probably several Presidents I’d like to chat with (Lincoln being the foremost). We might even have beer (although mine would be a non-alcoholic beverage). That quality – convivial drinking in a bar – is far from what I’d ever use as a quality Presidential gauge. Who would you rather have a beer with now? If W still drank, he’d be crying in his.

The $700 billion bail-out has been passed in Congress, but CNBC financial analysts estimate that it will take a minimum of one month to give adequate electro-shock to our markets. That’s about the time left until Election Day. America, please turn off Dancing With the Stars for five minutes and give serious consideration this time to what we are doing. It’s more than a drinking buddy.

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