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Conservative Compassion (Reagan, Bush and Sheehan)
NY Times ^ | August 17, 2005 | EDMUND MORRIS

Posted on 08/17/2005 2:43:30 PM PDT by neverdem

CINDY Sheehan's attempt to have President Bush tell her - again - how sorry he is about the death of her son in Iraq is escalating into a protest more political than personal. As such, it is a legitimate expression of antiwar sentiment. But the individual cry for attention at the heart of it - "Mr. President, feel my pain!" - is misguided. Ms. Sheehan cannot expect a commander in chief to emote on demand.

I once spent two days at Ronald Reagan's side, for the purpose of seeing what it was like to be president of all the people, all the time. (At least, from his morning emergence out of the White House elevator until the equally prompt moment when, tapping his watch and chuckling, he would say to the host of his evening function, "The fellas tell me it's time to go home.")

Long before that moment - in fact, within a couple of hours - I was so emotionally exhausted that I could hardly stand. It was not that Mr. Reagan, 30 years my senior, set the pace that some hyperactive presidents have kept. What drained me was my writer's tendency to feel what people in the room are feeling. The hundreds who shook his hand (he told me that he averaged 80 new acquaintances a day, for eight years) were avid to make the most of the window granted them in the president's schedule, whether it was an interview, conference, ceremony, drop-by, or photo opportunity. With the exception of a few disapproving Democrats, they all bore the strange smile that celebrity imprints on the faces of supplicants and spectators: a fixed grin below dilated eyes, expressive more of yearning than delight.

The president's very first appointment was not even on his printed schedule. An aide, waiting...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Louisiana; US: Texas; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bush; cindysheehan; edmundmorris; georgewbush; morris; reagan; ronaldwilsonreagan

1 posted on 08/17/2005 2:43:33 PM PDT by neverdem
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To: neverdem

the Slimes must be hurting for subscriptions.


2 posted on 08/17/2005 2:48:04 PM PDT by God luvs America (When the silent majority speaks the earth trembles!)
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To: neverdem

Yes, but a "good" President COULD be counted on to emote on demand. And, emoting at will, after all, is the only quality that really matters when you're searching for someone to inhabit the most powerful office in the world.


3 posted on 08/17/2005 2:49:16 PM PDT by vetsvette (Bring Him Back)
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To: neverdem

Though he doesn't do Reagan or W. full justice, Morris at least understands that it's unreasonable to expect the President of the United States to meet with every person who'd like to talk to him. And that it's even more unreasonable for Cindy Sheehan to assume that she understands the War on Terror better than he does.


4 posted on 08/17/2005 2:50:31 PM PDT by American Quilter
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To: vetsvette

Maybe W should take lip-biting lessons from Clinton.


5 posted on 08/17/2005 2:50:52 PM PDT by My2Cents ("The essence of American journalism is vulgarity divested of truth." -- Winston Churchill)
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To: American Quilter

Sheehan is a woman who has obviously become mentally disoriented over the loss of her son (and so absorbed with her little crusade that she's ignoring her surviving children). I'm afraid there's nothing Pres. Bush could say which would alleviate her mental disorientation. She needs a shrink.


6 posted on 08/17/2005 2:53:15 PM PDT by My2Cents ("The essence of American journalism is vulgarity divested of truth." -- Winston Churchill)
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To: neverdem
It's not unreasonable for Cindy Sheehan to demand the ear of the President. I'm reminded of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who once told an old woman that as the most important man in the world, he didn't have time to listen to her complaint: her retort, "Then stop being emperor!" shamed him into a patient and fair hearing.

What makes all this unreasonable is that Cindy Sheehan already has already had her meeting. And she declared herself satisfied with it! All this stuff she's now subjecting us to is vanity.

7 posted on 08/17/2005 3:02:24 PM PDT by Physicist
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To: neverdem
"CINDY Sheehan's attempt to have President Bush tell her - again - how sorry he is about the death of her son in Iraq is escalating into a protest more political than personal."

I googled what the question was. "Sheehan told reporters. "He said my son died in a noble cause, and I want to ask him what that noble cause is." That sounds political, personal doesn't seem to fit any more. The writer should get a clue.

8 posted on 08/17/2005 3:03:01 PM PDT by ex-snook (Protectionism is Patriotism in both war and trade.)
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To: neverdem

this article shows that the vast left wing conspiracy realizes that this kook in texas is doing them more harm than good and she has outlived her political usefulness


9 posted on 08/17/2005 3:16:27 PM PDT by JohnLongIsland
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To: vetsvette
And, emoting at will, after all, is the only quality that really matters when you're searching for someone to inhabit the most powerful office in the world.

Seems as if we had someone like that in the very recent past.

10 posted on 08/17/2005 3:48:49 PM PDT by madprof98
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To: neverdem
I liked Morris' Theodore Rex, but stayed away from Dutch based on conservative reviews. The closing line in his article here says it all:

A president has to protect himself from emotional predators, or he'd be sucked dry within a week of taking office.
11 posted on 08/17/2005 6:39:08 PM PDT by sittnick (There's no salvation in politics.)
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