E-mail:
Your previous emailer is dead wrong about Bush. Recall all the stories of him comforting the victims of 9-11, and families of soldiers, etc.
The trouble with Bush is, I think, he can’t fake his emotion, and he doesn’t truly get emotion until he’s dealt with things personally.
Recall his poor performance soon after 9-11. Once he was there, on the ground, he had both the “real sense of being in charge” you want, and the great emotion your emailer wants. I expect Bush to come around this time, too.