"Dowd: Bush Too Butch; Needs a 'Queer Eye' Makeover"

ChronWatch ^ | 8/4/03 | Jean Shaw

[Grit]

Dowd's definition: (straight men with femme tastes like facials)

Is an oxymoron - even disregarding the obvious "other" definition of facial.

[Trueblackman]

Come on Freepers you know she is still pissed that Michael did a makeover of his own and dumped her ass for the sexy Mrs.Jones(Damn still can believe that old man is tapping that gold mine).

[an amused spectator]

Kissing Maureen Stein

[lawgirl]

[lawgirl]

The gay guy that didn't like his belt buckles and jeans has apparently never seen this photo:

[The Old Hoosier]

This goes to the heart of liberalism. Masculinity, however, is not a disease.

[dagnabbit]

I'd like to see him wear more pastels. Shimmering navy blue silk is OK for Fall, but he needs something more Summery.

[Redleg Duke]

Earth to gathersnomoss...earth to gathersnomoss...time to remove your head from rectal deflade!

[headsonpikes]

LOL!

That silky blue sets off his eyes, don't you think?

[rintense]

Hey lady! Good to see you!!!!!

[massadvj]

Personally I prefer a swagger to a bounce when someone walks.

Well, if those were the only two choices, I'd agree with you.

The White House can be a tough backdrop for anybody. The place always has the potential to overwhelm the man. That's why rose garden strategies almost always fail. The only president who I can remember ever looking good there was Reagan.

If I were handling Bush, I'd advise him to be more casual in that setting, like the grandfatherly Reagan was. The gunslinger walk is too tyrranical with that backdrop. It says the man thinks he is a king instead of president. As far as the average voter is concerned, he can be a king in Crawford, but not at the White House. The setting conveys all the power and authority that is needed; the person in the setting should convey compassion and kindness, transcending the location.

I'd advise Bush to relax, laugh and chat with staff when he is videographed walking around the White House. Take that stern look off his face and get rid of that gunslinger march. He does look a lot better in casual clothes getting on and off the helicopter. I like the dog in his arms, personally.

It's very hard to do. As I said, most presidents fail at it. Clinton and his jogging suits were so casual as to be an insult to the place, something his handlers realized within his first few years there. As it turned out, what he was actually doing there was even more of an insult than his wardrobe.

Obviously, this is a frivolous conversation. But maybe we are better off discussing such mundacities than thinking about what's really going on.

[MEGoody]

Bush is fine the way he is. Kind of nice to have a manly man in the white house for a change instead of a 'metrosexual'.

[MEGoody]

"A set of balls would be nice, don't you think? When will he demand confirmation of his judges, hmmm?"

Do you really think 'demanding' is going to cut it? If they fail to meet his demand (and they would), what do you think he should do?

[gathersnomoss]

I suggest that Bush should follow Reagans lead and go on national television with a speech that includes a stinging remark about the confirmation delay's. The public forum seemed to work quite well for RR. What has changed to indicated that this tactic, involving calling those who disrupt the process as obstructionists, would not work today?

[smiley]

Dowd is such a vicious liberal isn't she? Can' stand the fact that President Bush is fighting to keep Americans safe while Dowdy Dowd continues her relentless daily bashing of this administration of which the American people are proud to support. Maureen, please go to China and really write about life of the everyday worker. Then come back and apolize to President Bush.....You are a vicious ugly black hearted minion, Maureen.

[ohioWfan]

The 'gunslinger walk' is the way he actually walks. He's the most UNaffected President in my 50 year memory.

I hope he stays that way, and never listens to any 'handler.'

[ohioWfan]

Keep the jeans.....keep the belt buckle.......

Masculinity is a GOOD thing, MsDowd........

[MEGoody]

"What has changed to indicated that this tactic, involving calling those who disrupt the process as obstructionists, would not work today?"

It might work, but then again, the Dems of today are a bit more shameless than they were when Regan was in office.

[massadvj]

The 'gunslinger walk' is the way he actually walks.

Overall, I like the guy as a television presence. He seems genuine and sef-deprecating most ofthe time. That, and his foreign policy, may be his best virtues. Nonetheless, the gunslinger walk looks phony to me. Like he's trying to show that he's a tough guy when he doesn't need to be. Obviously, my perception differs from yours, because most of the time I think I see him walk normally, without that gunslinger swagger. So I think it's something he controls. The swagger seems to come when he is under attack and feeling insecure, like the past few weeks over the stupid 16 words.

He's the most UNaffected President in my 50 year memory.

As far as I can tell, he's not affected by the UN at all :).

I hope he stays that way, and never listens to any 'handler.'

My God, you're delusional. Hang on to it. You'll be happier.

[ohioWfan]

Delusional?? I think not!

I happen to like it when people act natural and unaffected......you know, the antithesis of the algors of the world.......people like George W. Bush.

It seems to me that since YOU were the one telling us what advice you'd give him if you were his 'handler,' and thinking that he swaggers more when you perceive that he's feeling 'insecure,' that it is YOU who more aptly fit the description 'delusional.' :o)