Living in the Political Bubble

[scott]

Also known as the Rise of Modern Politics and the Death of Statesmenship

Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry... I know what's better, and you are not it.

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Some blame 'bubble' for poor Bush debating

Thu Oct 7, 5:02 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Some critics and supporters of US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) agree on an intriguing explanation for his poor showing in his first debate with Democratic rival John Kerry (news - web sites): Blame it on the White House "bubble."


The term refers to the protective layers of aides, spokespeople, Secret Service security and supporters that encase the modern US president, keeping reporters, hecklers and threats away from the chief executive.


Even allowing for heightened protection around him in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Bush has taken unusual pains to insulate himself from hard questions from those who disagree with him.


He has held fewer press conferences than any modern president -- including his father, former president George Bush (news - web sites) -- and aides who disagreed publicly with him have generally recanted swiftly and humbly or left the administration.


At least one senior campaign adviser, speaking two days before the first Bush-Kerry debate, seemed to suggest that Bush's considerable debating skills might be rusty from lack of use since taking office in January 2001.


"Presidents tend to listen and make decisions; they don't engage in debates with their opponents or really with anyone else. They listen and make decisions," Karen Hughes told Fox News Channel on September 28.


Many media analysts, including some who scored the first debate as a draw, noted that the camera caught the president frequently looking bored, annoyed, unsettled or distracted during Kerry's attacks on his leadership.


"Bush has been living in a bubble for too long," Richard Reeves, who proclaimed Kerry the winner last week, wrote in the Charleston Gazette.


"What's wrong with him? I would say he has a bad case of Ovalitis - an ear infection endemic to the Oval Office. Sit there long enough, and you don't hear anything you don't want to hear," according to Reeves.


Bush on Wednesday blamed his facial expressions on what he said were Kerry's constantly shifting or even contradictory views on Iraq (news - web sites), saying: "You hear all that and you can understand why somebody would make a face."


But the president rarely hears a discouraging word, as he is largely isolated from critics, reporters, bad news, and a public deeply divided over the March 2003 Iraq invasion to topple Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).


One of his reelection campaign's staple events is dubbed "Ask President Bush (news - web sites)," a session in which he takes questions from friendly audiences of campaign aides and carefully screened supporters with nary a heckler in sight.


The first question at one such event on October 4 was a good example of the feedback he typically gets: "Mr President, first, we just want to tell you that we pray for you every night as our President."


Bush has repeatedly declared that he mostly ignores newspaper coverage, telling Fox News television in September 2003 that he prefers to "get briefed by people who probably read the news themselves."


"The best way to get the news is from objective sources. And the most objective sources I have are people on my staff who tell me what's happening in the world," he said in an interview.


Bush's jokes about his facial expressions at a rally in the up-for-grabs state of Pennsylvania Wednesday suggested that his loyal cadre of aides had, in fact, told him about his poor reviews.




http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...0206&printer=1

[exstatic]

I would say he's probably adult ADD, and it was probably his camp pushing to quash the reaction shots during the debates.

[Nbadan]

It's been awhile since I've seen W. pull it together for more than a few minutes, and if he gets flustered forget it. I think that's one major reason why all his campaign stops have been by invitation-only.

[exstatic]

I think he's in trouble for debate #2. The format is undecided voters (the audience is all undecided) asking questions not known to the candidates in advance. You can't really coach or prep that. He's going to have to fly by wire, which is where he normally screws up and says something stupid.

[whottt]

LMAO...to win all he's got to say is..."So John, how're your friends in the UN and France doing these days?"

[Spurminator]

I'll be interested to see how "undecided" the audience really is.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yeah no . The questions will probably be along the lines of "Mr. President, I have no . How much are you going to give me that I don't have to work for?"

[exstatic]

Already making excuses?

[Marcus Bryant]

Sorry, was that your question?

[Bandit2981]

i think there are only going to be 10% undecided there...the rest will be soft kerry and soft bush supporters