60 Minutes
"I like making decisions," President Bush told Scott Pelley in a 60 Minutes interview at Camp David. In the interview, posted in video form but untranscribed on CBSnews.com, Bush shows that he also likes saying "decision" to the press. The chart below shows how often he said the word during each of the interview's nine minutes, including two times when he practically shouted it.
Twenty-four "decision"s in under nine minutes. It's an inelegantly noticeable tactic, but more confusingly, it merely emphasizes that the new Iraq plan was Bush's choice. That may communicate presidential strength, but why not emphasize a more specific word or phrase (as with the administration's emphases on "terror," "war on terror," "cut and run," and other more evocative terms)? Does Bush really think this "decision"-ing will make a difference, or has he just picked up a verbal tic after reading The Purpose-Driven Life?
Below are more highlights from this interview.
On why he visits Camp David (this was Bush's 365th day there as President, according to CBS):
Bush: "You feel pretty surrounded at times when you're the President. ... There is life beyond the bubble."
On how he knows what the country thinks:
Pelley: "You mention the bubble...it makes me wonder how you stay in touch with the average guy."
Bush (after mentioning "buddies" that visit the White House): "It's not hard to know what the country's thinking. It's not hard to understand anxiety during times of war or concern when people are losing their jobs. But it's something the president has to work on. You gotta make sure you don't get so tone deaf that you can't hear some voices."
On how he doesn't know what the country thinks:
Pelley: "I had mentioned that a lot of people were angry. And you seemed a little bit surprised by that, as if you weren't quite sure that was true."
Bush: "I think anger is a very strong word. And it was in context about my decision. And my reaction was, first of all I don't expect everybody to agree to it, but I do expect people to take a deep breath and to find out why I made the decision I made. As I told you, I don't know how to characterize people's reactions. I suspect a lot of people are saying 'Show me that it'll work.'"
Pelley: "You feel like you have a good read on what average folks think in this country."
Bush: "You learn to have a good read, not only during the moment when you're the president but before you're the president. People want good education, they want jobs, they want to put food on the table, they want peace.... There's a high level of frustration in the country, and I share that frustration, frankly."
On principle:
Bush: "I think I'm a flexible, open-minded person. Take this policy for example." "What I won't do is change principle.... I'm not going to try to be popular...I'm going to make decisions based on principles."
Pelley: "You're not really popular in the country right now, to be frank."
Bush: "You're right, you're right."
Pelley: "Does that get to you?"
Bush: "Not really."
Bush forgets the 2000 popular election results:
Bush: "You can't get elected unless at least 50% of the people who vote say 'We want you to be in office.'"
And in conclusion:
"I am blessed by an Almighty that comforts me and a wife that loves me and friends that are my buddies now, and they were my buddies before and they'll be my buddies after, and I've got a wonderful family....I feel exhilarated by the experience....There are moments of anxiety, and there are of course moments of anguish and sadness. But there's also moments of great exhilaration and enthusiasm. It's just a fascinating experience and I'm glad that I did it."
