For what may be the first time in five years, Bush responded to a question about why he keeps himself in a bubble, shielded from criticism, pointed questions, and bad news he’d prefer not to hear. Unfortunately, the response was not altogether satisfying.
NBC’s Brian Williams is getting a special opportunity with Bush today, with three interviews in one day — beginning in the morning in the Oval Office, a portion of which has already been posted online. Williams began by showing the president the latest Newsweek cover, which features an animated Bush literally in a bubble. Williams asked if Bush sees himself that way.
“No, I don’t feel in a bubble. I mean, you feel in a bubble in the sense that I can’t go walking out the front gate and go shopping, like I’d love to do for my wife — although I may and I’m not going to tell you what I’m gonna buy her.
“Look, I, I, um, I feel like I’m getting really good advice from very capable people, and that people from all walks of life inform me and inform those who advise me. And I feel very comfortable that, that I’m very aware of what’s going on.
“I just talked to the president-elect of Honduras. A lot of my job is foreign policy. And I spend an enormous amount of time with leaders from other countries, and they come right here in the Oval Office and tell me what’s on their mind. And I tell them what’s on my mind.”
This was hardly persuasive. Once you get past the shopping joke, Bush’s response to the notion that he’s isolated from competing ideas boils down to three points: 1) He has diverse advisors; 2) The foreign leaders he talks to aren’t pre-screened sycophants; and 3) He’s certain that he knows “what’s going on.” None of these three are convincing.
First, Bush’s advisors aren’t a terribly diverse group — most are conservative Texans. And while there may be some exceptions, the president has created an environment in which “disagreement is often equated with disloyalty.” Bush’s advisors may come “from all walks of life,” but if they’re all telling him what he wants to hear, their backgrounds don’t much matter.
Second, as for the foreign leaders with whom Bush speaks, Fareed Zakaria notes that even these meetings “[don’t] really have a genuine give-and-take. Most conversations are brief, scripted and perfunctory. The president rarely talks to any foreign leader to get his opinions or assessment of events.”
And finally, Bush is “very comfortable” that he’s “very aware of what’s going on.” Here’s my question: if he’s not reading newspapers, not hearing criticisms, discouraging debate, and avoiding critics, how would he know if he’s very aware of what’s going on?