Sagepaper

Does George W. Bush's difficulty with public speaking make him more reclusive than other war-time presidents? Maybe I have just had my head in a paper bag, but I do not see the President quoted as often as other presidents have been. I doubt the media are disinterested in what he has to say. Could it be that he is not saying much?

I have been concerned about this for some time. It seems there are many problems which could have been laid to rest by a brief speech from the President. I can understand his reluctance to put his foot in his mouth. I think he sends forth speakers on his behalf. This has an advantage, if something awful is said, he can jettison the employee. I worry, though, that a pragmatic decision to limit public speaking might be turning into a bit of a bunker mentality. The danger of that would be the emergence of group-think. Group-think can be catastrophic, as evidenced by the Bay of Pigs. It is possible to go too far in playing your cards close to your vest.

Is there enough fresh perspective and outside critical thinking about what the White House intends to keep us from disaster? Overall, I have approved of most of those decisions made by this administration that I know about. What about the decisions we don't see? I am not confident the decisions are being well-made, though I respect the group of people making them. (Okay, I don't like Rumsfeld's ideas, but he has grown in unpopularity to rival The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.)

I wish I could find some reassurance on this point. How do you perceive the President's level of communication with the public? Do you think the Cabinet is avoiding group-think?