I always thought George Bush was more oblivious than mean, but oblivious can quickly go to mean.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
George W Bush is like a bad comic working the crowd, a moron, if you'll pardon the expression.
God may be subtle, but he isn't plain mean.
The president may be a nice guy, but he's just over his head.
If nobody said anything unless he knew what he was talking about, a ghastly hush would descend upon the earth.
I am relatively sure, from conversations that I had with former president Bill Clinton, that George Bush seldom called upon him for advice.
Even with the best of intentions, even when they're very smart and knowledgeable - as opposed to George W., who is neither - it doesn't seem to matter.
I still think in this country, and this might surprise you, the one thing that George Bush said as president that I do agree with, I love that phrase, 'the soft bigotry of low expectations.'
In order to understand why George W. Bush doesn't get it, you have to take several strands of common Texas attitude, then add an impressive degree of class-based obliviousness. What you end up with is a guy who sees himself as a perfectly nice fellow - and who is genuinely disconnected from the impact of his decisions on people.
Again and again, I've seen Bush turn a blind eye as his henchmen have leveled zealous attacks against his political enemies - assaults which the president himself has sometimes directly encouraged.
The President has a quick and able mind, though not everybody gives him that, not by a long shot.