What Tony Said

Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has a new book out. I have seen a few clips from it. What particularly interests me are comments he makes about George W. Bush:

"One of the most ludicrous caricatures of George is that he was a dumb idiot who stumbled into the presidency," writes Blair. "No one stumbles into that job, and the history of American presidential campaigns is littered with the corpses of those who were supposed to be brilliant but who nonetheless failed because brilliance is not enough."

He continues: "To succeed in U.S. politics, or that of the U.K., you have to be more than clever. You have to be able to connect and you have to be able to articulate that connection in plain language. The plainness of the language then leads people to look past the brainpower involved. Reagan was clever. Thatcher was clever. And sometimes the very plainness touches something else: a simplicity that is the product of a decisive nature."

From Hot Air:
Detailing the close professional and personal relationship which developed between the two leaders in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks in the U.S. and during the build-up to the Iraq war in 2003, Blair writes that Bush was “very smart” while having “immense simplicity in how he saw the world.”

“Right or wrong, it led to decisive leadership… he sincerely believed in spreading freedom and democracy,” he writes in “A Journey;” which hit book stores in the UK on Wednesday…

“I was asked recently which of the political leaders I had met had most integrity. I listed George near the top. He had genuine integrity and as much political courage as any leader I ever met,” he writes.

The U.S. Media is quick to create caricatures of those they cover. SNL skits become public reality. I have always argued that George Bush had to be a man of greater intellect than he was portrayed. Yes, his speaking style seems hick, and he struggles with written speeches; however, too many men and women - very smart ones at that - were impressed with him, followed him, and went to battle for him. The saying goes, you can judge a man by the company he keeps. Smart people don't go to bat for bumbling idiots. Every account I have read of him by people who have worked directly for and with him, suggests he's a diligent, loyal character who grasps complex situations. He had a black/white approach to many an item and that bothers some; however, it shouldn't be misconstrued as idiocy.

His low key post-presidency despite the constant attacks he takes has been admirable. He was here in Wayzata last week to raise money for his library. No press, no speeches, no public communication. The only reason I even knew it existed is that we passed the event by car, and the chef of the restaurant we attended happened to be working the event. I Googled the event, as surely there would be some press piece announcing his arrival. Nothing. Zero.

A couple of months ago, Laura and George Bush attended the homecoming of some soldiers from Iraq. He made a surprise greeting of the troops, shaking all their hands, and chatting with many of them. Obviously it was a big PR function with lots of news media. Nope. The only images that emerged came from the returning soldiers putting pictures up on Facebook.