The Washington Monthly

All Hat No Cattle. I first saw it about 5 years ago in an article about the Bush "ranch". He dressed like a cowboy, but all he had was brush and that is what he did, cleared brush. On his "working" ranch, he had no cattle, no sheep, no crops to raise to feed non-existent farm animals. Hell, at least you would expect to find an example of the Republican mascot... a chicken hawk, but noooo! And that is what Andy Card is talking about here, its the suit, according to him that makes you a President not what you actually do.



The Washington Monthly: "Traditionalists may not approve of Obama's easy-going style, but we're a long way from a 'laissez faire locker-room experience.' A frat house it isn't.
The other thing to consider here is exactly how one 'respects' the presidency. For Card and others who served with Bush, it's about choice of clothing. For those who serve with Obama, it's about honoring institutional limits and the rule of law.
Or, put another way, where exactly does a loyal Bushie get off talking about 'respecting' the presidency? Did George W. Bush always wear a coat and tie? Sure. Good for him. But while he was wearing nice clothes and demanding that his staff do the same, he also oversaw a scandal-plagued White House that trashed constitutional norms and routinely ignored the laws that the president twice swore to faithfully execute.
One respects the office by honoring its place in a constitutional system, not by wearing a suit."