I had the most astonishing thought last Thursday. After a long day of hauling the kids to playdates and ballet, I turned on the news. And there was the president, landing on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, stepping out of a fighter jet in that amazing uniform, looking--how to put it?--really hot. Also presidential, of course. Not to mention credible as commander in chief. But mostly "hot," as in virile, sexy and powerful.
That's better. :)
LOL, I noticed his walk right off but didn't think it "strange". It's the way a man with well developed leg muscles walks. Back east, in order to get that look, you'd have to be athletic.
Yes, but now you see how many others do too. :)
Here are some more comments by readers at the WSJ Opinion Journal site.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/responses.html?article_id=110003472 I'm Distracted From His Brain
Marcy Stevenson - McKees Rocks, Pa.
Great article, but this president has always looked good to me. What has made him so attractive is his obvious devotion to his wife--there's nothing so attractive as a man in love. Bush does radiate dignity, humility, strength and trustworthiness, a stark contrast to the craven, lying letch who defiled the White House. Real women (i.e., not like Kneepads Burleigh) understand the male-female dynamic and are strong enough to revel in feeling protected by a man.
Furthermore, to those who praise the intelligence of the former co-presidents Bill and Hil, I ask "How do you know, since they won't let anyone see their educational records?" To those who disparage President Bush's intellect, I say "I don't think so. Listen to him." Though now that I think about it, it was harder to concentrate on his brains after seeing him in that flight suit.
Mighty Fine
Mary Dudasik - Nutley, N.J.
Loved your article! I'm out in the 'burbs, 10 miles west of New York City, and many of us agree that W. looks mighty fine in his flight suit. Not in a dress-up way, but very authentic. After all, he ran the war masterfully. Plus, a man who is that devoted to his wife is a treasure. The comparison to Michael Dukakis in the tank and his unemotional response to the rape/wife question is laughable. Bill Clinton couldn't fit his flabby, doughy body in a flight suit and would be too cowardly to land on an aircraft carrier.
My Husband Is Sexy
Erin Knight - Tigard, Ore.
As a white suburban soccer mom "swing voter," I find Bush repulsive in every way. He is in no way sexy, especially in the uniform. In fact, as an American patriot, I think it was insulting and scary for him to wear it. Think about it--what national leaders wore military garb? Try Stalin, Hitler and Rummy's dear friend, Hussein, to name a few. Even presidents who were generals never wore their uniforms while in office! The "fathers" of the American Constitution were wise in setting up the government with a civilian "commander in chief."
The president will ultimately regret this little, unsexy charade when the Democrats start showing campaign ads of him landing on the flight deck juxtaposed with information about him being missing from the National Guard for at least a year (see Boston Globe article). Now that, for me, will be a huge sexual turn-on. My gorgeous, intelligent, sexy husband will need to be ready for that eventuality, big time.
Giddy for George
Eileen Dickson - Everett, Wash.
I never thought of it that way, but you are right! I had a very giddy reaction to seeing the landing and him greeting the sailors in his jumpsuit, and looking back, I was not reacting to "the president", but to a real "hottie". I've always been a fan, but now.
Such a Lonely Word
Scott Tesar - Oak Park, Calif.
I think the real thing that the author finds attractive is honesty, something that the former occupant of the White House wouldn't recognize if it walked up and bit him on his Big Mac-filled behind!
W. honestly respects the military, something "Wild Bill" couldn't fake, and they responded in kind, with honest appreciation.
After eight long years in the desert with "Wild Bill", W. is a refreshing change of pace--I hope we get four more years of honesty.
Not the Word I'd Have Used
Hadassah Rothenberg - Brooklyn, N.Y.
Your comments are so true although "hottie" is not a term I would have initially thought of. Maybe it is too modern a term for my older persona. President Bush's demeanor and command are attractive and certainly characteristics that I admire. The sincerity of his smile (with a slightly boyish grin to it) and the fact that he relates without projecting a sense of egocentricy is a welcome relief from most males that I know and know of. Yep, I would not have thought of "hottie" but I think you are right.
I, I, Sir
Bill Pries - Brookville, N.Y.
My wife has often commented about another of President Bush's endearing qualities: he's willing to share credit and it's not always about him.
Listen to his speeches and count the number of times he says "I." Contrast this to the next speech you may hear, taped or current, of his predecessor--nothing but "I, I, I."
If that were Bill Clinton on the flight deck, he would have shaken two hands for the obligatory photo-op and disappeared. Mr. Bush shook every enthusiastic hand thrust at him (fully 40 minutes) and his Secret Service agents had to pull him out of the crowds. It was mutual love and affection. I couldn't have been more proud.
Vote for His Inner Beauty
Alice Felt - Walla Walla, Wash.
Sure, President Bush looks great, but part of me recoils in disgust at the thought of his appearance in a flight suit impacting the way some vote. Looks play a role in how we chose a husband, but after 20 years of marriage I can say it certainly isn't the only thing or even the main thing, just icing on a very good cake. It is depressing however to think looks may effect how some chose a leader. That said, if there are actually women out there who will be influence by pictures of the president, then regardless of their motives, their votes are welcome because the result won't be just a nice-looking guy in a flight suit, it will be a capable leader and the hope of a promising future for this country.
Jealous in Chicago?
Steve Staley - Colorado Springs, Colo.
Eat your heart out, Platzer!
Just So Rad
Patti Bowlan - Memphis, Tenn.
The article was so silly and inane that I was truly shocked and amazed to read the responses, which were worse. Oh well, when in Rome: "Hey like, you know, like does anyone out there like have any clue about this wicked voting thing . . . like, you know, it's all just so rad and like I'm just really like confused about this president thing and like, you know, like running a country and like flying airplanes. Is it just like the best outfit that wins? Or is it the hair thing? Like, you know what I mean?"
Pathetic
John Gauthier - Las Vegas
Please! This was funny but pathetic at the same time. Can you imagine doing the same piece on Laura Bush? or Hillary Clinton? The backwash would riffle the pages of the Journal for years to come. Let's not even pretend are women are that air-headed, some of them might believe it.
Something About a President
Daniel Schwartz - Medford, Mass.
While reading Lisa Schiffren gush about how "hot" our President looks in a flight suit, a tune kept running through my head. Eventually I recognized it as a popular tune (to a military cadence, of course) from a much less enlightened time than our own:
There's something about a soldier,
Something about a soldier,
Something about a soldier that is fine, fine, fine!
He may be a great big general,
He may be a sergeant-major,
He may be a simple private on the line, line, line.
There's something about his bearing,
Something in what he's wearing,
Something about his buttons all a-shine, shine, shine,
Oh, a military chest seems to suit the ladies best,
Oh, there's something about a soldier . . .
(from the 1933 movie, "Soldiers of the King")
Clearly this sort of thing has been going on for a long time. That might be worth keeping in mind, as we talk to the liberals that, as Ms. Schiffren says, "make such a fetish of intellect." Her opinion might not be in tune with our politically correct times, but there's a lot of precedent for it.
Bah, Humbug
Ken Hamburger - Bellvale, N.Y.
Of course, some of us really were military aviators and actually did the sort of things Dubya only plays like he did. The Texas National Guard and then putting on a costume to be ferried in a jet to a carrier that was close enough to take a helicopter are just not the same as actually staying in the military, not going AWOL for a year, and actually getting shot at and shot down in Vietnam. But it's sure a lot safer, and hey, nobody knows the difference. It'll make a great Republican presidential ad next year: "Hi, my name's George W. Bush and I'm not a real military pilot, I just play one on TV. Vote for me, I'm a hottie, verified by the WSJ."
Poor Hillary
H. Lewis - St. Louis
Ever since President Bush did that pre-election interview, with I-can't-recall-whom, wearing a pair of blue jeans and talking about how everyone would love Laura when they got to know her, I've thought that that man is the sexiest thing alive on two legs. I'm glad that the media and other women are now catching on, but y'all are late to the dance.
Lisa is right when she says "the thing about George that makes it hard for anyone's fantasies to run amok is that there is reason to believe that the only one who is going to know what all this heat is worth is Laura." Apart from looking great in jeans and having a walk like the supreme rooster of the rock, what makes George Bush incredibly sexy is his fidelity to his wife and his obvious inability to keep his hands off of her. The man's good-looking, decisive, has a great sense of humor, does wonderful things to a pair of jeans coming and going, and he's faithful!
No, I don't entertain funky fantasies because such would sully my enjoyment of the idea of all that sexy machismo wrapped in a package stamped "fidelity." Laura Bush is a lucky woman! Hillary, watch Laura and weep!
A Guy's Guy, Too
Chris Bartony - Columbus, Ohio
I'm not going to follow Lisa out on the I-think-Bush-is-hot limb, but I'll tell you something from a guy's perspective. Mr. Bush is a fellow man. My buddies and I talk about it all the time. He can do "guy" things and looks natural doing them.
Am I the only one who remembers Al Gore and Bill Clinton "playing football" on the campaign trail? Lord, they throw like little girls (no offense women, but it's true). When I see Mr. Bush down on the ranch, clearing brush, cruising the pickup truck around the fence-line, I want to call him up and invite him over for a beer (nonalcoholic, of course).
If Lisa's point of view is widely held and most guys think Dubya is one of them, then 2004 is looking very bleak indeed for the Democrats. Have you check out their potential candidates? John Kerry? Howard Dean? Joe Lieberman? (sorry, Joe, but no one wants to see you in a flight suit). Mr. Bush is going to win the gender gap and the masculinity gap and 2004's election night map is going to look a lot like 1984's.
I'll have to ask my wife about the flight suit thing. She didn't say anything, but she sure paid attention to the news that night. Hmmmm.
The Way He Shakes
Dan Gillcrist - Santa Fe, N.M.
Great job! Also very funny. I've known him since he was 20 but never thought of all this. I do have an observation on the trap he made.
When one shakes hands there are two ways; I know because I seldom use the second way. The formal way is simply shaking the guy's hand. The second way is to put your left hand around the back is a sort of hug. It was done many, many times on that flight deck--watch it again and you'll see. Those guys were absolutely delighted he was there with them. Their handshakes were affectionate and very familiar--something you would never expect between an aviation technician second class and his commander in chief.
That scene was extremely emotional in spite of Sen. Byrd et al. Boy are they making a mistake.
Government Isn't So Sexy
Amy Wheeler - San Francisco
The most interesting responses are the ones that equate "hottiness" with protection, whether real or imagined. It used to be that women looked to their husbands for protection, and that relationship helped promote or sustain sexual relations within the family. Now, husbands are things women believe they need to be protected against by the government, which has assumed primary roles in protection, parenting and other aspects of family life.
Of course, despite warnings received by the government about 9/11, the 3,000 people who died received little protection from government. So, too, the hundreds of thousands of crime victims each year forgo government protection while they're being victimized. They often equate their vulnerability with "goodness."
It's too bad government has subverted and perverted family life and life in general with empty promises of protection, vague threats and other coercive methods. Someday Americans, perhaps many of them women, will realize that government has become nothing more than a well-oiled lying machine, capable of doing little else but defeating defenseless enemies and twisting Americans' heads with baseless threats so to coerce more and more compliance. Perhaps many women will find independence, and perhaps even their husbands, as "sexy" as a government based on lies and contempt for freedom.
Hot Fluff
E. Donovan - Columbus, N.C.
Admittedly this article is a "fluff piece." I enjoyed reading it.
The real appeal of the president is that you know in your heart that he says what he means and he does what he promises. After Bill Clinton, it is a comforting feeling that you can trust our president and I for one am behind him 100% because I know he is thinking of all of the citizens and not principally making decisions for his own political benefit.
All I can say is "four more years" for a president who relates to his people and who has "values" we admire. This is a better nation than it was under Bill Clinton and his "spinners." Being a "senior citizen" I sure find him a "hottie" but for different reasons.
Go East Young Woman
Starlin Leitner - New York
Loved your article, but don't hold your breath waiting for Liberals to give any credit to President Bush, his management team, and the U.S. military for a decisive, short-term, and relatively flawless war in Iraq. The jubilant faces of young and old Iraqis have had minimal effect on liberals whose sole raison d'être is enmity towards Bush and his administration. Why? Because they're Republicans, whom liberals will continue to love to hate regardless of the issue at hand. BTW, if you get run out of the West Side, we East Side Republicans will welcome you.
At Our Service
Karen Clancy - New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
The day after the carrier landing I bought every paper that had the president featured on the cover. It isn't often that we can feel such pride and love for our leader as I did that day. I used to scoff at those who had portraits of President Kennedy in their home, but I can now understand it. Forty years old and I have a crush on our President. We're not being servile, Mr. Dickerson of Kentucky. We're being served.
How Come Taranto Never Mentions the Cheek Implants?
Jacqueline Kjono - Minneapolis
I am glad that this advantage is finally on our side. The closest the Dems can come up with is the haughty, French-looking John Are-Those-Cheek-Implants Kerry, who by the way served in Vietnam.
But knowing that a large number of American women will just go for the cute one makes me wonder why they ever took us seriously enough to let us vote in the first place.
Piping Up
Karen Schreibeis - Cincinnati
I normally don't comment on things that I read but I just love this article and Lisa, I agree with you, the president looked hot in that jumpsuit!
On a Roll
Mike Glasgow - Ijamsville, Md.
First Dennis Miller, now this. You're on a roll, WSJ! This was entertaining!!
The Official Paper of the State
Paul Schrimpf - Lakewood, Ohio
Heh, thank the good Lord that women are the deeper, more sensible sex, immune to the trappings of infatuation with appearance. I guess it was only a matter of time that the official paper of the State would forward the notion that the president not only is always correct, but hot as well. Maybe next week you can describe his penchant for proper wine selection. Keep it coming! It's a hoot!
The Right to Bare Arms
Jan Thomsen - Wildwood, Texas
President Bush has great forearms also. He is adorable, respectable, witty and extremely attractive.
Easy on the Eyes
Denise O'Brien - Oak Forest, Ill.
It was so nice to see that I'm not alone in my thinking! I mean not only is W. smarter than his political enemies think, he's also not bad at all to watch!!
Now You Tell Us?
Rose Attardo - Wayland, Mass.
Lisa, where have you been the past 2 1/2 years? My mother and I have been commenting on his sexiness from the beginning. A who that stands in front of the country, looks you right in the eye, with amazing confidence, and tells you the truth, has to be a turn-on. Especially after the previous narcissistic eight years we had to endure.
Here is a man, President Bush, who was near tears with pride of the job those young men and women did to help protect what he believes is still a great country (even with all those people doing their damndest to try and change that). A man who truly feels responsible for the people of this country. A man I am forever grateful to having been leading this country during these few years. Compared with a man ( use the term loosely), Bill Clinton, who is out preaching that the U.S. is not going to be the strongest country anymore, it will be China or Europe (which he did his damndest to try to make happen), and that we better get used to and prepared for that idea. He estimated 30 years, and if this country is foolish enough to elect Hillary as President in 2004 or '08, then it will be happening a lot sooner.
I'm sorry I digress, I really just wanted to say I loved your piece, forwarded it to my mother, and hope that many women feel the same way and keep him in in 2004. He has not finished cleaning up the mess yet. I'm not ready to let go of a man I feel cares about my safety and takes such pride in his country.
Clinton Was a Character, Bush Has One
Jim Frishe - St. Petersburg, Fla.
As I read your article, I was beginning to think you were trying to marginalize the president by comparing him to Bill Clinton on a sexual level. You rescued yourself however, with the last sentence. The reason Bill Clinton will eventually be a small picture in the pantheon of presidents is one word: character.
The Fickle Soccer Mom
Charles Mitchell - Winchester, Ohio
President Bush is a hottie? No wonder the Dems are frothing at the mouth after witnessing his tailhook landing. The worst nightmare they could have would be to have the soccer moms see him as a hottie. I once did a personal survey of soccer moms who planned to vote for Bill Clinton. I simply asked them why they intended to vote for him. Every one of them said "Because he's cute!" Not one of them said it was because he would be a good president. It was enough to make a male chauvinist pig's chest swell with pride. The Dems are in deep trouble if soccer moms decide that President Bush is sexy. Can the Dems spell "landslide"?
Hot and Steady
Virginia Lester - Troy, Mich.
Flyboy indeed! Ms. Schiffren got that right! We women get turned on by a uniform, especially one that has a brilliant president in it. We aren't inclined to believe what a president says since Ronald Reagan, so this president is not only believable but handsome and witty to boot! He says what he means and means what he says. No waffling with President Bush.
What a contrast to the former president who wouldn't protect our homeland, much less our troops and interests overseas. Our troops love him, just as most of America loves him. Again, what a contrast to the former president, who didn't even know how to salute our troops and our troops despised him.
Look what Mr. Clinton did with "Black Hawk Down." He wouldn't even send reinforcements in, and we lost some of our best soldiers. President Bush would have sent the whole military in to crush that tawdry bunch.
How any woman can respect or have any esteem for former President Clinton who did nothing but use women, including his wife, "blows my mind" (pun intended). That sucker couldn't even follow through with a so-called affair. How frustrating.
The best results of having a president who is resolute and tough is that the world knows when he says something, they will pause and digest what he says, instead of sneering at America. We don't care if they love us, but they better respect us, to me that is better than misspent love any day. That alone should save a lot of American lives.
Laura said it best--he is steady. Hot, virile and sexy--ahhhhhhh Laura! You lucky gal!
Horseplay With My Hubby
Lynda Durrant - Bath, Ohio
Oh, yeah. That Chuck Yaeger swagger on the flight deck was something to see. And that grin! I can only assume how much President Bush really enjoyed flying jets as a young man. It must have brought back some terrific memories.
Just like Shelley, I too, am married to a man who looks great on a horse. It's the doing, a man of action, rather than sitting at a desk all the time and thinking, that makes for American-male sex appeal.
Although both men look great sitting at a desk too, come to think of it.
His Attractiveness Isn't Only Sexual
Brian Hickey - Seven Fields, Pa.
A fascinating point of view that I am not qualified to comment on (being male). However, I can attest to President Bush being "attractive" in respect to his obvious honesty and dignity. In a world where one cannot trust many of the heroes of childhood, a man like George W. Bush, exuding honesty, integrity and being the example for millions is refreshing and, dare I say it, "attractive" in an intellectual context.
A Prediction
K. Vijayakumar - Bangalore, India
By election time next year, the victory in Iraq may be a distant memory, more people may be queuing up for unemployment benefits, shopping malls may be sparsely populated, share markets may be in the dumps and yet Mr. Bush may earn a second term in the White House because of his sex appeal. The Democrats have reason to worry. Their candidate may have intellect. But what is intellect without sex appeal? Ask Lisa Schiffren.
'Imappwopwiate'
Buddy Larsen - Blanco, Texas
Aha, it's starting to get a little more clear what bugs the Democrats so badly about the president's Lincoln landing. Something a bit more elemental with their formerly safe "blue state" women's vote, eh? And here I thought the main complaint was that the flight suit was "inappwopwiate." Maybe come Halloween they can photo-op some of their guys in costumes; Joe Lieberman as Hamlet? John Kerry as Napoleon? Hillary Clinton as Catherine the Great? Dick Gephardt as--well, a congressman?
Sheer Joy
Jeanne Babin - Mobile, Ala.
Is it getting warm in here? Those carrier images will enjoy a special place in the back of my mind. It wasn't just sexy, though it certainly was that! It was the look of sheer joy on his face and the face of those men and women greeting him. This was a man victorious, deflecting the credit off to those around him. We don't see much of that anymore, especially in Washington.
Laura's His Heater
Ron Baldwin - Cincinnati, Ohio
George Bush gets the confidence that makes him hot by way of his first fine accomplishment--marrying Laura. What a woman, in every wonderful way! I still remember how fabulous she was in that red dress at the Inaugural Ball. Laura would bring true masculinity out of any man. No wonder the president swaggers just a bit sometimes.
Hot? Not.
James M. Dickerson - Lexington, Ky.
A new phenomenon! A true nerd, devoid of any intellectual gifts, with a totally faked personality. A "man" who turned tail and ran from his one true opportunity to be a real warrior. That is a "hottie"? No wonder conservative men want their women to be servile, since they obviously are too empty-headed to be anything better. This article proves it.
Laura Was Waiting
Denise Turek - Hudson, Ohio
I was delighted to read your article. It's the first I've seen of this opinion and just exactly what I said to my husband as we were sitting watching the whole thing and smiling ear to ear. It was wonderful not only to enjoy the moment and feel good about our country and it's leadership but to know, as a long-married couple still filled with passion, that Laura must have been watching, and waiting for him to come home!
Hats Off to Maggie
Randy Haddock - Culver City, Calif.
As a man, I cannot appreciate President Bush in the same manner as the author. But I can appreciate him in the same way that men have appreciated great male movie stars of the past, when there were real movie stars. Stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper and John Wayne set a standard of masculinity that American men at least tried to emulate, in the hope that some of their charisma and, let's face it, success with the ladies might rub off.
Lisa's friend Maggie has gotten to the heart of the matter with women: She sees President Bush as a man protecting her family. This is the largely unspoken truth about the president's appearance on USS Lincoln: Men see him as the man they would like to be, and women see him as the man they would like to protect them. This must drive feminists crazy! Who, after all, could imagine Bill Clinton protecting a woman? And who can imagine a feminist admitting she wanted to be protected? Hats off to Maggie for admitting this truth. If the terrible attacks of September 11 and the aftermath have yielded one positive thing, it is the emergence of some truth in this aspect of male-female relations.
Lamoyne's a Hottie Too
Shelley Taylor - Tucson, Ariz.
What a great article. I married a rancher's son with blue eyes and a smile that made my heart melt. I also liked the way he could sit on a horse and the way his Levi button-down 501s fit. We fell in love herding cattle, riding with his brothers to secret fishing spots that could be reached only by horseback. We cooked the fish next to the stream and then headed out of steep canyons, where blaze marks on the pine trees showed where the trail was.
I like men who look as if they belong outdoors and are really happier there than inside an office. I like a man who has strong principles and convictions. I like a man who stands up for right and yet has a soft side. I guess that is why I married a man like that and why I really like President Bush. They both look great in denim. President Bush may be a hottie, but so is my husband of 32 years. Laura Bush and I are both lucky at love.
The Anti-Carter
David Lincoln - Edmonton, Alberta
There is an inverse to the reaction Lisa gave of how hot President Bush appears to women. Jimmy Carter in his Playboy interview talking about lusting in his heart about women. Talk about pulling a 180-degree change.
No one should vote for someone because of their sex appeal but I will never forget how embarrassed a friend of mine was because his mother (in her 70s at that time) was gushing about Clinton/Gore actually saying, "our guys are cuter than your guys" during the '92 election. Unfortunately, women like that vote too.
Women are attracted to a man who has self-confidence and who is masculine - not the arrogant macho jerk who is full of himself and thinks he's God's gift to women but the responsible and mature man who takes the time to listen and who is at the same time competent at what he does and decisive in resolving a problem. The Democrats' problem is they come across either as know it all jerks or as feminized losers. President Bush is neither and if women voters warm up to him, there goes the Democrats' hopes of regaining the White House in 2004. You've got a major crisis on your hands if the dreaded so called "gender gap" is being erased and THAT more than anything else explains the Democrats' panic. They're seeing something among American women we haven't seen in ages and they don't like the fact President Bush is exuding sex appeal. Its not a good time to be a Democrat.
Who is going to be left to vote for the Democrats in 2004...Gays...blacks....hillbillies and Jews...just like always....sadly.
Actuall many of the Jewish voters are starting to see the light. There was an article about how Jewish voters are shifting towards GOP, because of Bush's tough stand against terrorism.
I also read that GOP is making some inroads into the Hispanic and Black communities.
It's going to get to the point that the only Democrat voters will be the hard core leftists and dead people.
"Its not a good time to be a Democrat. "
--
That's why they are getting more and more desperate and making themselves look really foolish in the process.