How not to fix the White House
Anytime is a good time to talk about how things wouldn't be so bad if you'd been in charge. This TNR article links to an absolutely hilarious piece by National Review's extra-hacky Rick Lowry talking about what Bush needs to do to win broad popular support. Here's a surefire winner:
Give some speeches denouncing eminent domain abuse. He can't do anything about it, of course, but the Republican base will love it and it's a broadly popular issue, so no one else will be offended.
Eminent domain as the defining issue of 2006? Wow.
Sit-down with conservative bloggers. They are some of his most loyal supporters--include them in the media out-reach.
Why in the world would Bush waste his time sucking up to the only people guaranteed to support him no matter what he does wrong? They're the only ones he doesn't need to wheedle for support.
Talk about the economy as much as possible, and get a new treasury secretary to try to shift the conversation onto this topic
Yes, Fearless Leader. Remind us of the massive national debt at a time when energy & health costs are soaring-- yet wages aren't even keeping up with inflation.
Ryan Lizza's piece is funny, too, but for a very different reason. His suggestions for the White House might help the president a bit, but every last one of them is so completely contrary to Bush's core beliefs that they're inconceivable (as he seems to acknowledge in his final sentence). If Bush did any of these things, ever-- bipartisanship, political reform, accountability-- he wouldn't be Bush. The guy in the White House has crafted his entire persona and presidency on the image of weathering the storm, staying the course, and ignoring outside opinion. Trying a new way of governance would just make him a failure and a spineless flip-flopper. And he's all about that 'legacy' of his.
Give some speeches denouncing eminent domain abuse. He can't do anything about it, of course, but the Republican base will love it and it's a broadly popular issue, so no one else will be offended.
Eminent domain as the defining issue of 2006? Wow.
Sit-down with conservative bloggers. They are some of his most loyal supporters--include them in the media out-reach.
Why in the world would Bush waste his time sucking up to the only people guaranteed to support him no matter what he does wrong? They're the only ones he doesn't need to wheedle for support.
Talk about the economy as much as possible, and get a new treasury secretary to try to shift the conversation onto this topic
Yes, Fearless Leader. Remind us of the massive national debt at a time when energy & health costs are soaring-- yet wages aren't even keeping up with inflation.
Ryan Lizza's piece is funny, too, but for a very different reason. His suggestions for the White House might help the president a bit, but every last one of them is so completely contrary to Bush's core beliefs that they're inconceivable (as he seems to acknowledge in his final sentence). If Bush did any of these things, ever-- bipartisanship, political reform, accountability-- he wouldn't be Bush. The guy in the White House has crafted his entire persona and presidency on the image of weathering the storm, staying the course, and ignoring outside opinion. Trying a new way of governance would just make him a failure and a spineless flip-flopper. And he's all about that 'legacy' of his.
posted by Matt Sandwich | 1:33 PM
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