Posted on 01/26/2003 10:34:20 PM PST by ThePythonicCow
. . . .
Bush's seeming invincibility to bad news may be exasperating to Democrats, but it was no surprise to Michael Deaver, the shrewd public relations man who played Karl Rove to an earlier president, Ronald Reagan. When Deaver was handling spin for Reagan, one frustrated Democrat described the scandal-proof chief executive as the Teflon President. This time around, Deaver watched the White House twirl and sidestep through the serial crises of December with deep professional admiration. To Deaver there was nothing mysterious about it, no Teflon. It was just the relentless discipline of a president who consistently defies the expectations of people who think they are smarter than he is.
Like a lot of Republicans who have watched both Reagan and Bush at close hand, Deaver sees uncanny similarities between them. The presidents are alike in their outlooks and career paths, in their agendas of tax-cutting and confrontational deployment of American power, in the ideological mix of their advisers. (Whatever you read about the president's inheritance from his father and Gerald Ford, the Reagan DNA is dominant in the staffing, training and planning of the Bush administration.) More than that, there are important similarities of character and temperament. And both are simple men who have made a political virtue of being -- in Bush's word -- ''misunderestimated'' by the political elite.
. . . .
What Bush is striving for, on the evidence of the choices he has made so far, is bold in its ambition: markets unleashed, resources exploited. A progressive tax system leveled, a country unashamed of wealth. Government entitlements gradually replaced by thrift, self-reliance and private good will. The safety net strung closer to the ground. Government itself infused with, in some cases supplanted by, the efficiency and accountability of a well-run corporation. A court system dedicated to protecting property and private enterprise and enforcing individual responsibility. A global common market that hums to the tune of American productivity. In the world, America rampant -- unfettered by international law, unflinching when challenged, unmatchable in its might, more interested in being respected than in being loved.
If he fails, my guess is that it will be a failure not of caution but of overreaching, which means it will be failure on a grand scale. If he succeeds, he will move us toward an America Ronald Reagan would have been happy to call his own.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Which is generous euphemism for "dancing circles around the self-appointed 'political elite'".
It's been easy. Both were smarter--much smarter.
You see: both Reagan and George W. Bush are great men and great presidents.
The New York Times Magazine ^ | 01/25/03 | BILL KELLER
Posted on 01/24/2003 7:02 PM CST by Pokey78
I have to tell you that I had a different image of you, though, until I read your profile page...;o)
See Reagan's Son [The NYT Sunday Magazine's cover story re: President GW Bush].
I still can't get this article to show up in a search (searching for "Reagan", nor searching for "son").
Strange.
PeaceBeWithYou:
This is the third day in a row for it. And none of the three posts show up, searching for "Reagan" in the title.
Aha. Search for Reagan's. Turns out that there are four posts of this baby. The fourth being: "Reagan's Son" Very Long New York Times Magazine Story, also posted yesterday, this one by SMGFan.
The word "Reagan" is not in the title. However, "Reagan's", is. A search for "Reagan's" returns the proper search. And the search feature doesn't work for words with less than 4 letters in them.
Ok - that's an algorithm, as they say. Good as any.
You don't recall seeing this documented anywhere, do you? Or is it up to each of us individually to stumble through the umpteen possible permutations of a search engine, deciphering the behaviour the this one?
... sorry for the rant ... not really fair of me ... thanks for a useful answer.
And the only way, the only way, to find this documentation is to get TomServo on you case for missing (in this case, despite trying hard) previous posts, then ask him?
Time I submitted a couple of suggestions to the admins.
You have been helpful, sir. Thank-you. Nevermind my grumpiness.
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