Posted By Daniel W. Drezner Share

As George W. Bush's policy advisors give their exit interviews, I suspect that we are going to see sentiments similar to this one from Josh Bolten
Bolten said another of his goals when he took over was to try to get the country to see the likable boss he and other aides saw in private, convinced that would boost Bush's popularity. "I failed miserably," he conceded. "Maybe in the beginning of the sixth year of a presidency, that's a quixotic task. . . . But everybody who has actual personal exposure to the president, almost everybody, appreciates what a good leader he is, how smart he is and, especially, how humane he is."
Whenever I read something like this, I always go and get my copy of Jeff Greenfield's diverting political novel, The People's Choice, because he has a great take on this kind of statement from a politico: 
When a political aide says, "He's really good in small groups," it means, He is so completely incapable of understanding the power of words or ideas that I can barely restrain myself from leaning across his desk, grabbing his lapels, and screaming, "Wake up, schmuck!" into that lean, beautiful face of his.
Indeed. 
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KING POLITICS

7:12 PM ET

January 2, 2009

Quite frankly, it's hard to

Quite frankly, it's hard to trust too many of these insider accounts of the White House, Bolten's or anyone else's (including Paul O'Neill for that matter). I prefer Bob Woodward.

 

D. B. LIGHT

1:20 AM ET

January 3, 2009

So, every time someone says

So, every time someone says something good about Bush you conclude that they actually meant the opposite.

Give me a break!

 

J THOMAS

3:06 AM ET

January 3, 2009

DB Light, not when "someone"

DB Light, not when "someone" says something good about Bush. When insiders in the Bush Administration say something about Bush.

Experience has shown that when they say something they generally mean the opposite.

 

Daniel W. Drezner is professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

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