A Beer with Bush

December 16, 2005

During the last Bush campaign, much was made of Americans saying they would rather invite Bush over for a beer than Kerry. Certainly Kerry appeared snooty when rationally contrasted with  a beer with Bush but maybe Americans would have gone for a glass of Chardonnay than a beer with Kerry. But no one asked that.

Bush supporters pounced on the beer with Bush revelation as a reason to vote for him. They said, Bush was a likeable guy and who wouldn't want to vote for him because of his beer-likeability? Very American. This fall, his beer-likeability was brought up again by conservative talking heads, who tried to show Bush was still a really nice guy but had a few problems weighing on him. And who wouldn't get aggravated with all that going on they said?

Yet, he did seem kind of surly and pissed off probably because of leaks, investigations, the 911 Committee and America's negativity toward the Iraq War. Why, he wouldn't speak publicly except to vetted audiences and soldiers who were shamelessly used as a patriotic backdrop.

During this time, many claimed he was back “drinkin' gain”.  If true, his supporters would probably say he was just brushing up on his beer-likeability, the reason Americans voted for him in the past. Kind of like keeping his promises to the American people.

Yet, there were glimpses of his disagreeable personality. This fall, he was apparently verbally abusive to staff at Camp David when he allegedly said to those present, “go fuck yourselves” after they proposed he fire Rove.  One has to admire his loyalty to such a political slug but his language seems more like Cheney.

And who can forget when he allegedly said at a recent Republican meeting, that the Constitution was "just a goddamned piece of paper". Now that must have been awkward.  All they wanted to do was to discuss renewing the un-Constitutional Patriot Act and how to get away with it. Bush was preaching to his choir and he didn't have to and they knew it.

This is disturbing, distressing and un-American!

It seems Bush isn’t the beer-likable guy Americans had reason to vote for in the past. And what about “that piece of paper” he was sworn to protect and defend? Guess it is not the cornerstone of the Bush Administration, not that most clear thinking Americans didn’t know that already.

Ironically, in 2004, the Administration suggested that every American have a mental health screen, including all school children because mental illnesses often go unrecognized and untreated. The plan went nowhere, but maybe it should have been carried out starting with Bush. Then, we could find out for sure whether his past substance abuses or his present ones are affecting his behavior and reasoning ability.

Maybe he just has an “Un-constitutional personality”, consistent with excessive alcohol consumption brought on by the stress of being incompetent. We may never know for sure.

Still, Bush seems like an “okay guy”, maybe even likable. Frankly, I would invite him over for an ice cold beer but only after my cell phone was programmed with “911”. This is just in case he wouldn't leave after too many beers, pissed in the bushes or if he refused to take back what he said about my wife.  As an American and former Boy Scout  we must all be prepared unlike FEMA.

I have had many beers with likable guys but I would not want them in the White House, except for an official tour and certainly not the one calling the shots. The same for Bush. 

When and how did Republicans, notably the Christian ones, make having a cold beer with Bush a qualification for office in the last election?

As Bush would say, “Now, look at the fucking mess we are in.”