Monday, February 21, 2005
The New York Times > Washington > In Secretly Taped Conversations, Glimpses of the Future President
The New York Times > Washington > In Secretly Taped Conversations, Glimpses of the Future President: "This is an issue I have been trying to downplay,' Mr. Bush said. 'I think it is bad for Republicans to be kicking gays.'"
I think so too. What these tapes say about the future President is what I have sensed all along, that President Bush is far more moderate than he has been painted. I am still not sure how I feel about these tapes being released or even how I feel about them being made. The practical side of me says that it might have been too much to resist for Mr. Wead. On the other, more emotional side, it seems a bit selfish. I am still working that out, but the more important part of these tapes is that he is much smarter than we get to see from afar, and that he is not so far too the right that he partakes of the hate of the Christian right. It also shows that, while he might align with them politically, he does not allow Christian leaders to influence his leadership. It is merely the morals of the ideology, not the practical application as spelled out by the religious leaders that claim so much influence on our President. This allows him to be seen as particularly more autonomous than he is painted by his critics. That is a really important point.
I think so too. What these tapes say about the future President is what I have sensed all along, that President Bush is far more moderate than he has been painted. I am still not sure how I feel about these tapes being released or even how I feel about them being made. The practical side of me says that it might have been too much to resist for Mr. Wead. On the other, more emotional side, it seems a bit selfish. I am still working that out, but the more important part of these tapes is that he is much smarter than we get to see from afar, and that he is not so far too the right that he partakes of the hate of the Christian right. It also shows that, while he might align with them politically, he does not allow Christian leaders to influence his leadership. It is merely the morals of the ideology, not the practical application as spelled out by the religious leaders that claim so much influence on our President. This allows him to be seen as particularly more autonomous than he is painted by his critics. That is a really important point.
