By: Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources (www.originalsources.com
September 20, 2000
All the sudden we are hearing a lot about polls in the media. The reason, apparently, why we are hearing a lot about polls in the media now, and were not 2-3 weeks ago is because since the Democrat Convention Al Gore has pulled ahead of George W. Bush. In fact, the Gallup Poll reports that "voters favor Gore over Bush in the election per se by only a 48% to 43% margin." However, while almost nine out of ten Democrats say that Gore will win, only six out of ten Republicans say that Bush will win.
If those figures are accurate, it's a sad commentary on the tendency of Republicans to give up, rather than to actually get out and work for their candidate.
George W. Bush himself doesn't seem to share the pessimism shown by 40% of the Republican voters. Yesterday on the Oprah Winfrey show we saw a relaxed, good-natured and slightly mischievous George W. who seemed quite capable of good-naturedly maintaining a standard we haven't seen in the White House in eight years.
Oprah wasn't asking policy questions. She was asking personal question, designed to allow her audience of 22 million viewers, most of who are women, a glimpse of the "man behind the political wall" as she put it. He answered most of the questions and, when he would not answer, his refusal to answer was also good-natured. Oprah played a clip of George W. Bush from his acceptance speech saying:
"I believe in a God who calls us not to judge our neighbors, but to love them. I believe in grace because I've seen it and peace because I've felt it, in forgiveness because I needed it." The audience cheered.
Oprah asked: "Tell us about a time when you needed forgiveness."
A mischievous Bush responded, "Right now!" The audience laughed and applauded.Oprah said, "O.K.! But, for real! Tell us a story."
Bush replied: "When my heart turns dark; when I am jealous or when I am spiteful."
"I'm looking for specifics," Winfrey interrupted.
"I know you are, but I'm running for president," Bush said with a smile and the studio audience erupted in laughs and applause.
I thought about a young female questioner in an MTV audience several years ago asking a sitting president, Bill Clinton, what kind of shorts he wore - boxer or briefs - and he answered the question apparently without a second thought as to whether that was an appropriate question.
Later in his administration, when the issue was whether or not he kept his shorts on in the Oval Office, he tried to convince us that what he did with his shorts was none of our business.
George W. made it very clear in a relaxed and good-natured way that he would not answer every prying question.
At another point in the interview, Oprah introduced a twenty-five year old black women named Millicent who asked, after noting that George W. had talked a lot about education, prescription drug costs and social security, none of which, she felt, would affect her.
Oprah piped up, "They affect you! You may not think so at age 25 but they will affect you!"
Bush replied, "If you are working and paying taxes, because of the surplus I think you ought to be able to put more money in YOUR pocket - that's what I think!"
The audience exploded with applause and cheers.
Bush continued, "My vision of tax relief is that EVERYBODY who pays taxes ought to get relief. And, the reason I think that is important is because I think you should make the decisions for your money rather than the federal government making decisions for all your money!" That was followed by a second explosion of applause, which would seem to indicate that, at least Oprah's audience would not be offended by Bush's across-the-board tax cut that Gore keeps telling us none of us are interested in.
Oprah again brought the interview around to forgiveness and religion, observing:
"Speaking of religion, one of my favorite Bible passages is, I think in Corinthians, where Paul talks about being pressed to a high calling." (Note: She probably was thinking of a passage in Philippians 3:14 where Paul says: "But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.")
"I believe," she said, "-we talk a lot on this show about people being called, being passionate about their work - I believe there is a calling on everybody's life. When do you feel, or have you felt, a CALLING to be president. Is it a calling? Is it that deep or that passionate for you?"
Bush responded, "Life would be so much simpler to be in Texas with my wife, and not putting our children through the meat grinder of public opinion. So, yeah, there's a big call and I'm deeply concerned about the future of this country. I'm concerned that some folks are going to be left behind. I'm concerned about the state of education. I want to make sure that we keep the peace. I want people to be able to fulfill their dreams in America. This is a fabulous country. It is the greatest country on the earth. The values of this country and the history of this country and the traditions of this country are just magnificent and I feel a deep calling ..."
Oprah interrupted asking, "WHEN did that happen? Were you, like, sitting in Midland? Were you walking in the woods?
With a smile Bush replied, "Was there a bolt of lightening and (a voice saying) "THOU SHALT BE PRESIDENT!"
The audience laughed and Oprah added "AND IT SHALL BE YOU! But, is there a moment where you decided. I read in Talk Magazine where you said this isn't something that you really pursued.
Bush answered: "I never dreamt about running for president when I was a kid. I didn't think about it when I was in college. Maybe I would have behaved a little better if I'd thought about it." The audience laughed and Oprah said:
"Uh-huh!"
Bush went on:
"I started thinking about it seriously over Christmas in '98. I had just gotten re-elected and had just had a legislative session to deal with in Texas and I thought a lot about it. I got a lot of advice from a lot of good friends, a lot of people who've had an impact on my life and I decided to run because I wanted to make sure that this American experience is available for everyone."I want to usher in the Responsibility Era and be part of ushering in a new culture where each individual will be held accountable for the decisions he or she makes in life."
He was interrupted by applause and cheers from the audience. Oprah said, "It is Divine Law - where you are responsible for your choices..."
"That's right," Bush said. "We SHOULD be. We should be, but that's not necessarily the case today. We've got people who make a bad choice and then blame somebody else. There is a culture of irresponsibility that takes hold in America sometimes. I think we can do a better job in America. Government can't pass a law that says 'You WILL love your neighbor!' or 'You WILL BE responsible!'
At that point Oprah asked a remarkable question, one that is, perhaps, at the heart of the difference between the socialist notion of government solving all problems by controlling the people and the notion of freedom in which the people are responsible and creative:
"Does government have a soul?"
Without hesitation, George W. responded bluntly: "No!
"I've heard where you commented about whether government has the ABILITY to create soul in itself."
"I don't think it does," he replied. "I think what government ought to do is tap the soul of America by calling upon faith based groups, community organizations, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Organizations ..."
"Faith based," Oprah interrupted. "not necessarily believing in your faith?"
"Absolutely!" he said. "The programs coming out of synagogues, or mosques can be just as viable as those coming out of Christian institutions. Big Brothers and Big Sisters aren't necessarily a 'faith based' program' per se, but it is a program based upon 'I want to love somebody. What can I do to love a child who may wonder whether America is meant for them.'
Oprah noted that people stopped her on the street and said they would decide whom to vote for after her show yesterday. The question she had was, "Why should they vote for you?"
George W. answered that question with: "For one I'm a proven leader. I've been given the awesome responsibility of being the governor of a big state. I've brought people together to get POSITIVE things done. I would hope people would look at our record in public education in the State of Texas. Our test scores for minority students are some of the best in the nation, because we set high standards and we have strong local control of schools. We believe in accountability. We believe in giving parents choices.
"I've got an agenda that says we are going to elevate the individual in America, not empower government. I trust individuals with making decisions in their own lives. I have a program for reducing taxes. I've got a program for strengthening the military to keep the peace. I've got a plan that says we are going to provide prescription drugs for seniors. My philosophy is that no one should go without. If people cannot help themselves they need our help. And if people have t o make the choice between food and medicine, some elderly soul, we're going to help that person ..."
Oprah, who appears to be an advocate for Al Gore interrupted in an icy voice, "Well, Al Gore said t he same thing."
Bush shot back, "But, they can't get it done! I mean, he's been up there for eight years trying to get something done..." and the audience exploded again with sustained cheers and laughter.
It would be really interesting to find out exactly how that audience was chosen. Was it just their run-of-the mill ticket requesters, or was it full of Bush partisans? Certainly they seemed remarkably receptive to George W.'s down-to-earth call for responsibility and cooperation, not the class warfare that has been the hallmark of the Clinton-Gore administration.
If you don't see many polls being reported after George W.'s appearance of the Oprah Winfrey show, it probably means that a lot of those 22 million listeners, most of whom are women, really liked what they heard on Oprah's first interview of a Republican candidate.
To comment: mmostert@originalsources.com
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