I’m one of those Bush supporters who’s been wondering where the heck he’s been the past 10 days. I’m glad he’s doing a televised presser, but I think I had an even better idea last week on my radio show, when I somewhat self-servingly suggested that the President needs to do an hour of talk radio.
I’m very serious about this. President Bush, taking an hour to answer regular questions from regular people about Iraq would have a tremendous impact on the American people.
He could appear on Rush and that would be fine, but even better would be to simply go on the air, open up the lines and take calls from typical Americans. No host, nobody interjecting or re-framing the question. Just George W. Bush explaining to normal people what’s going on in Iraq and why it’s important.
The magic of call screening would control most of the “looney” factor, though he’d probably have to deal with a “bababooey” or two, but so what? One thing I’ve learned doing radio is that it builds intimacy in a way television does not. It also reveals your natural personality.
These are both winners for President Bush, in my opinion. And I think the minor stumbles and bumbles of real-life conversation that would occur would help, not hurt, the president.
What the people I’m talking to on the air right now need is reassurance. Nobody can do that as well as President Bush, speaking with passion, confidence and knowledge about his plans for Iraq.
If the White House is afraid the President isn’t up to doing an hour of talk radio, let me remind them that I actually do it for a living–how hard can it be?