An
Evening in WV with W
by Robert Yoho, Columnist and Senior Editor
"Eye on Conservatism"
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Approximately
5 days before the elections, my family and I traveled to Charleston, West Virginia,
where we saw President George W. Bush (right).
In his fifth visit to West Virginia since becoming president, Bush came to Charleston to boost the campaign of incumbent Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. There were equal moments of passion, patriotism, and partisanship. Red, white, and blue streamers were everywhere among the obviously partisan crowd.
We waited better than 3 hours to get in the building. Then we waited almost 3 more inside the Civic Center. My wife and kids breezed through the security checkpoints, but there was just something about me they didn’t like. They emptied my pockets and ran the wand over me from head to toe, but I finally made it inside.
All of the waiting was finally rewarded, because we were able to take our places right against the barricades in front of the platform. We took some great pictures. Moreover, all four of us had the chance to briefly speak to the president and to shake his hand after the speech.
Unlike Clinton, who seemed to relish it, President Bush doesn't act like a man who feels that he is deserving of all the public accolades. The president seems like he is often amused by the attention. Other times, you sense that he is almost embarrassed by it. You are sure that he regards the applause with no sense of entitlement.
President Bush is delightfully plain spoken. He addresses the crowd like a real man of the people — not someone reading the words prepared by some wet-behind-the-ears Ivy League speechwriter. Occasionally, he butchers the language, but those simple human qualities are a part of his public appeal. Bush uses words like "cold blooded killers" to describe the terrorists. He minces no words about them; he calls them as he sees them. In that sense, he is certainly Reaganesque.
Although the First Lady did not make the trip with him, Bush longingly spoke of Laura. Despite the fact that he is the most powerful man in the world, I couldn’t help but think Bush was just an ordinary man, far from home on a business trip, anxious to get home to his wife.
Because President Bush has no fear of calling thugs and criminals by their proper names, he also has the strength of purpose to see them caught and punished. I am sure the president has suffered through many restless nights in the past couple years, but I doubt that he loses any sleep over the obliteration of those who led or planned the terrorist attacks on America. Nor should he! This is a refreshing change from an administration known for its verbal preening, jaw clenching, and bold rhetoric, followed by pinprick attacks that did more to inflame the enemy than to defeat them.
As you watch and listen to Bush passionately articulate his values and vision, you realize that those who call him "stupid’ are the ones truly lacking in intelligence. They were the same people who routinely told us that Shallow Al Gore had "gravitas." Bush’s most vocal detractors often confuse buffoonery with brilliance.
The spectators at a Bush rally walk away with a greater love for America, a reinforced confidence in our country’s leadership, and the increased desire to serve the people in their homes and communities. This president truly appreciates and glories in our freedom and you sense that he is passionate about its preservation.
As a child, I always felt that the presidency was a noble position. That faith in the office has sometimes been shaken, but never lost. President Bush seems to understand the significance of the office and strives to uphold it finest traditions.
It was definitely a great night to be with my family in Charleston, West Virginia. I was certainly honored to shake the hand of the leader of the free world, an ordinary man who did not seek greatness, but had it thrust upon him by extreme circumstances and the innate strength of his own character. ***
© 2002 Robert Yoho
COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY THE AMERICAN PARTISAN. All writers retain rights to their work.
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