Posted on 06/24/2004 9:34:32 PM PDT by anymouse
This is a story of how powerful the new media has become. A phenomenon of sorts has grown from a picture of a 15-year old girl named Ashley Faulkner in a warm embrace with President Bush. It all began in early May. President George W. Bush was on the campaign trail in Ohio and one of his stops for the day was at the Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, Ohio. In this Cincinnati suburb awaited Ashley Faulkner and her father Lynn. They had arrived early with their friend Linda Prince to get a spot in the front of the line hoping to get to meet the president. As the campaign event wound down they would indeed get to see President George W. Bush up close and personal.
Mr. Bush worked the line, shook Mr. Faulkner’s hand and then proceeded until Linda Prince spoke up. “This girl lost her mother on 9/11,” Prince told the president. With that proclamation the president changed from the leader of the free world to a father and a husband. According to Mr. Faulkner, “The president’s entire expression transformed and he turned and came back against the flow and his eyes locked on Ashley’s.” The president took the time to talk to Mr. Faulkner’s daughter Ashley and give her a warm hug. Mr. Faulkner told me he debated before taking this now famous picture, wondering if he was invading a very private and special moment between his daughter and the most powerful man in the world. He decided to snap the picture you see here, the only one taken of this incredible moment of compassion by President Bush.
(snip)
It is said that character is measured by what you do when no one is looking. President Bush warmed Ashley Faulkner’s heart and took the time to comfort her when he believed no one was looking. But with one fortunate click of a digital camera, now the world gets to look.
Perhaps they were wrong in the nineties--- maybe character does matter.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtondispatch.com ...
Y'all have GOT to see what Martin's done in Post 12. Amazing.
I'm in Ohio, and have seen this story before. You can't fake whats seen in the President's eyes.
I'll also note something thats become a bit of a controversy here in the Cincinnati Enquire readers views.
The President has personally met twice with Sgt Maupin's family - once the day this picture was taken, and again last week.
The President didn't mention his first meeting with the Maupin family.
Think about that. In an election year, the President made the choice to not let the media know what he was doing on this.
Thats the true measure of this man, in my opinion. If it were Clinton, he would have been standing in the Maupin's front yard holding a freakin press conference.
Incredible momen caught on film, and you can read the expression in GW's eyes, that this is a deeply personal moment and he expects the camera to go away. Character of the man is right there for the world to see.
WOW!
WOW is right!!!
ping
It is an ad that will rip your heart out and hand it to you on a platter.
It's an ad that POUNDS on the heartstrings of those who have one, and makes sure that WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
Bush does NOT look like his USUAL self in the photo and that's because his 'Daddy's heart' has been tore up...for some reason, he can 'relate'. Grief ages MOST.
In the midst of these tears, I'd like someone to point me to pix of kerry having the same human/fatherly reactions to 9/11 and the 'left-behinds'. I'd like someone to point me to his words of comfort and compassion and 'courage to hunt'.
IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!
I'm in Brown County, Ohio, just west of you (I guess). I've seen this commercial at least once a day for the past three weeks.
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