Belmont Club » The Strange Case of George W. Bush

The American Scholar article by Walt Harrington entitled Dubya and Me is reminder that “man is a mystery”. Harrington, whose politics were very different from Bush admired him to the point of fascination. Defending him against critics who saw the Texan as a chimp, Harrington retorted, “I didn’t vote for George W. I disagree with him on the Supreme Court, environment, abortion, the death penalty and affirmative action. So I voted against this good and decent man. It pained me to do it.”

No one can read Harrington’s piece without wondering whether we can know Barack Obama either.  “In the remaining years of his presidency, I visited Bush several more times, always in the Oval Office.” Harrington wrote.  “His only remark about Barack Obama was, as I recall it, ‘No matter who wins, when he hears what I hear every morning, it will change him.’”