The Compassionate Bean Counter

With Iraq now appropriately finessed, GWB has been busy covering his flank on the economy.  (If you hadn't noticed, the phrase "go shopping" has finally been replaced in Junior's cue card stack by the term "give back.")

So how/why did Bush end up getting photographed like a spokesman for beans at the food bank during his all-too-clever pre-Turkey Day road show? (Here are slides.) Well, being the formulaic people they are, the thinking at the White House follows some well-worn trajectories.  One (especially since Katrina) is: never make Prez look like he's out-of-touch with the common folk.  Another has been: never repeat any of Poppy Bush's mistakes.

As such, we have something of a three-fer here.

First, we have still another example of the Comforter-In-Chief in action.  This time, blocking the word "hungry" with his cranium (you can take this further if you wish), he keeps everybody loose with the salesman act so they won't suffer as much from the hung-er pains.  Second, we get a wonderful expression of budget-minded consumer-empathy just as the economy is starting to tank. ("Let's talk about the tax breaks later";  "Hey, pass me a couple more pork-busting veto pens"; and, "Whatever you do, keep me away from that newfangled supermarket technology!")  ...And finally, we get a cute little reminder how Bush believes just about everything in the world must have his name on it.

By the way, thanks to Southern Oregon University Communications professor and "Big Picture" guy, Dennis Dunleavy, who turned me on to this pic.

(image: Jason Reed.  Richmond, Virginia, November 19, 2007.  via YahooNews.  caption: U.S. President George W. Bush holds a can of Bush's Best Baked Beans during his visit to the Central Virginia Foodbank... Bush travelled to Virginia for events prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. )

Comments

[Books Alive]

Hmm, is Bush hefting real oranges, not fake, like the turkey in Iraq some years ago?

To me, this indicates a Johnny-come-lately effort at less fakery as he confronts his legacy.

[mistah charley, ph.d.]

I have a can of beans like that in the cupboard right now. They are a very good brand, and have been doing funny commercials (in which the talking dog supposedly knows the "secret recipe") for years.

[gabriella medina]

That convoy of black suv's that escorts bush everywhere is ominous, like a gangster hit mob. Shrub has been to my city, Denver, several times lately. The streets, highways, rampways are always closed hours in advance causing major congestion. It is not even preannounced for "security?" so you are just am-bushed.

Notice how there are no crowds out spectating (I wouldn't say "warmly greeting" even if they were there). They fear someone on the side of the road dropping their pants and mooning him, and it being captured on YouTube.

Bush is always in uniform lately, that same creepy dark funeral suit - only difference day-to-day is the tie. Red one day, then yellow, then blue. He used to appear in casual clothes. The handlers/marketing department felt those dress down clothes were cheapening the brand.... So, in a brilliant move, they pose him with a can of bush beans.

[cmac]

Those beans are really good. I get the vegetarian style, spice them up a bit, and serve them with corn bread. I wish they'd change the name, though. 'Bush' is just so unappealing.

[dissector]

In the Bush's admin, all political content is reduced to prepackaged, canned bites, for easy consumption. Too bad they give us all gas.

And come on, "all go hungry" ... this is just too easy.

[jtfromBC]

Bush's unique beanball grip !
& isn't that tie just golden ?

[Matt]

Barbara must have told George they were magic beans.

[TAJ in IA]

I'm a bit surprised to see that nobody realized that those beans are produced by the Bush family. So not only is he doing a photo op he's also giving free advertisement to a family business.

[Debbie]

Bush's Vegetarian Beans have so much salt in them they make my mouth pucker. Not only is the brand name a turnoff the sodium content is as well. Never again.

[Steve]

The food bank probably only gets Federal funding if they buy huge quantities of Bush family beans.

Anything in a can is over salted.

He's thinking about how much flatulence he could get out of eating that can. "Then I can let one go before Al Gore visits the Oval Office, heh, heh, heh ... "

[jtfromBC]

The BushBean Company doesn't appear to have any association with G.W.B.
http://www.bushbeans.com/aboutbushbrothers/aboutbushbrothers.php

[Mad_nVT]

There must be some reason that the Bush handlers put him into those mortician suits, but I don't get it, unless it serves as a subtle reminder that Bush can rise above the death and destruction that he has nurtured.

That light purple shirt with the golden accessory must be meant to gently make us understand that Bush is royalty, with the royal blood to rule.

However, I have looked deep into his eyes, and all I can see is a vacant lot.

[Michael]

The man is standing there holding a can of beans, and still the only look you can discern on his face is, "Am I getting this right?" He's such an empty suit.

[tina]

I remember being told that during Hoover's administration people stopped buying Hoover vacuum cleaners, even though there was no connection, and just because of the name the company almost went out of business. As we know, they are still around but the name Hoover hurt them for years.

Looks like the same thing could be happening to Bush beans, judging from the comments above, esp. the rumour about how they really ARE Bush beans.

[Books Alive]

The sweetening, at least, of some of the baked beans is natural honey or molasses, rather than the ubiqitous corn syrup.

As far as the Hoover brand, the Brits have been "hoovering" their carpets for decades. The term may possibly become "dysoning" because of the new machine.

[Lindata]

You didn't mention that the sign now reads "hung" which calls to mind the "Mission Accomplished" pictures.