"Well, the problem I see with your assertion is twofold. First, Bush just hates intellectualism, which he considers pretentious."
That is your presumption, not fact, and you have no basis for it other than the equally preposterous presumptions of others.
"Even though he went to Andover and Yale, he felt strange because he was from Texas instead of the East Coast."
That's laughable because the Bush family is also accused by the left of being this super-connected Connecticut elitist dynasty. The fact is his grandfather was a senator from Connecticut and his father was, at the time, an up and coming GOP pol and former oil entrepreneur. Not exactly a dynasty, but certainly not the makings of someone who would "feel strange" at Yale. Your suggestion is absurd.
"Clinton read five when he was in office"
Without even realizing it, you have hit on a significant point. Clinton was a populist who made many of his decisions based entirely on how they would be perceived in near-term press coverage. Bush makes his on the informed advice of professional staff, determining for himself what he thinks is the right decision, regardless of the momentary direction of the political winds. Clinton pandered, Bush leads.
BTW, if Bush wants to know what the few truly informed columnists - people like David Brooks, Thomas Friedman, Bill Saffire and a handful of others - think of an issue, I'm sure his advisors read them regularly and, more importantly, talk to them regularly.
In any case, your notion that a POTUS must pick up the NY Times and Wash. Post and whatever other papers you had in mind in order to be informed about the issues is just silly.
The reality is that you only assume Bush is not well informed because you don't agree with his decisions. That's the same thought process that leads you to conclude that Bush voters must be ignorant, inbred hillbillies.
The real problem is YOUR narrow-mindedness, your inability to conceive of the possibility that intelligent people could actually disagree with you, your inability to cope with the notion that you just might be wrong. |
