I guess I have a different sense of humor. I think the insults to Bush's intelligence are mostly based on Bush's malapropisms (e.g., his notorious pronunciation of "nuclear"), but in fact he earned degrees at Yale and Harvard and started his own company, not the types of things mediocre comedians have done. To me, insults or cheap shots are not funny. I mean, something like President Ford not knowing to unshuck his tamale before eating it was amusing, and one might speculate on other incidents involving unfamiliar foods.
In particular, mocking the President in terms of books is inappropriate for a couple of reasons: first, his wife, Laura, is a librarian; second, Bush made bipartisan education reform (Leave No Child Behind) a priority during his Presidency.
Karl Rove has been writing a fascinating regular weekly column for the Wall Street Journal, and in last week's column, he noted an ongoing reading contest that he has been having with the President since a new term New Year's resolution. Perhaps he wanted to debunk the myth that Bush was an intellectual lightweight; Rove tongue-in-cheek bragged over a winning streak in an ongoing competition with the leader of the free world (noting that perhaps the President had less spare time to read). But he also revealed some of the President's reading selections, including a broad array of histories and biographies.
The reactions have been predictable. The obvious "Nero fiddled while Rome burned" judgment suggests instead of paying attention to what was happening with the economy and international affairs, Bush was sitting in the Oval Office on the clock catching up on his reading. Not surprisingly, others who felt that the Bush administration violated individual liberties (e.g., the Patriot Act) suggested changes to the reading list, including the Bill of Rights. Still others revive the myth of the ivory tower academic--i.e., being educated or well-read on a subject doesn't mean anything in the real world.
I want to touch on one subject: quantity vs. quality time. There is a well-known organizational behavior professor at the University of Houston with an incredible publication record--but he made it a point of going home empty-handed. Most of us who are creative find that we often come up with solutions at unexpected times. McCartney and Richie talk about waking up with new classic song melodies playing in their heads. But I've seen enough of the human performance literature that I wouldn't want an overly tired or stressed President making a critical decision. Also, appearances can be deceiving. The Executive Branch operates on a 24-hour basis. Even on vacation or in the evening hours, the President is available and seconds away from being briefed on a crisis.
There were two principal things I took away from Rove's article which unfortunately I haven't seen others discuss. First, the President is setting a fine example for our youth with his active exercise regimen and his reading habits. He's not wasting his time watching frivolous television programs, playing video games or meeting people on the Internet. Second, Bush does not have a closed mind, surrounding himself with yes men and a groupthink mentality. Instead, he has an active, engaged intellect, with a wide range of reading materials, open to being influenced by the writings of many authors and scholars.
