The Awl http://www.theawl.com/ Be Less Stupid Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:15:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 The Jeb Bush Presidential Trial Balloons Launch! http://www.theawl.com/2010/06/the-jeb-bush-presidential-trial-balloons-launch http://www.theawl.com/2010/06/the-jeb-bush-presidential-trial-balloons-launch#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:15:47 +0000 Choire Sicha http://www.theawl.com/2010/06/the-jeb-bush-presidential-trial-balloons-launch WE DID IT! WE GOT THE GUY WHO WAS MEAN TO OUR DADDYThis is a very funny-and very important-little Jeb Bush profile from Matt Bai in the Times today. It's fascinating, and there are some very odd things about it!

1. "Jeb, who now runs his own consulting firm, seems at ease out of public office."

That this passes without a word on who Bush's clients are seems negligent. (They are: "everyone," I gather. Jeb Bush & Associates is just a little shop-it's all Bush, making connections, bringing friends together.) Also, describing him as being "out of public office"-although, obviously, true! He is not in public office!-barely begins to explain Bush's extremely central position in all Florida (and even southern U.S.) politics. When Bai writes "He has been deeply involved as an informal adviser to the party's candidates for governor," that approaches expressing the kingmaking, political don position that Bush is in.

2. Jeb Bush "is said to have mentored Marco Rubio, the Senate challenger in Florida who gave the Tea Partiers a national lift." Okay, so Rubio-a longtime lobbyist, which makes him the most unlikely person to be so successfully identified with the Tea Party-"is said," in fact, to be exist at this level solely due to Bush's steering and stewardship. When people talk about Rubio, they talk in almost literal terms about Jeb Bush being something even more than a Darth Vader to Rubio's Luke Skywalker.

3. "...Some influential Republicans persist in believing that Mr. Bush might still make a strong candidate in 2012... Mr. Bush says he has no interest in running, because he wants to make money for his family, but his political allies seem to read a 'for now' into such statements."

In fact this extremely rare appearance of Bush talking to a reporter, and this is something he does not much do, is related to these very "some influential Republicans," which are, actually, "pretty much all of them," and is also part of their quest to float a trial balloons of how a third Bush candidacy would go. ("Some" is probably properly to be said as "including Jeb himself.")

As for money: well, being in office cut down on his income for a while, sure. That's the problem with politics (though Cheney showed how to solve it). Bush left the Florida's governor office with a net worth of a mere $1.3 million, and immediately renewed his real estate broker's license, went on some fancy boards and became a consultant to Lehman Brothers.

This making "money for his family" is a strange thing to say, isn't it? All of his children are grown and scattered around; two are in their 30s! His son George Prescott Bush, at first moved to Texas, went into real estate and has since disappeared from public view after joining the military; last anyone heard, he was going to be shipped overseas. Who knows what Noelle is up to, but the other Bush son, still in his 20s, also went into real estate as well as politics after college, at least in part because it's an easy way to make money when you're from a well-connected family and also because Jeb was, for a time, South Florida's most successful real estate broker. Jeb Bush is often called a "real estate developer"; that is incorrect.

If things go even vaguely right, Jeb Bush will be a candidate for president, if not in 2012, then not long after. That America would even consider a third Bush is, to me, bizarre-even if Jeb Bush is the least objectionable of any Bush. But everyone knows that we're a country where brands succeed almost solely based on name recognition. That advantage is incalculable.

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WE DID IT! WE GOT THE GUY WHO WAS MEAN TO OUR DADDYThis is a very funny-and very important-little Jeb Bush profile from Matt Bai in the Times today. It's fascinating, and there are some very odd things about it!

1. "Jeb, who now runs his own consulting firm, seems at ease out of public office."

That this passes without a word on who Bush's clients are seems negligent. (They are: "everyone," I gather. Jeb Bush & Associates is just a little shop-it's all Bush, making connections, bringing friends together.) Also, describing him as being "out of public office"-although, obviously, true! He is not in public office!-barely begins to explain Bush's extremely central position in all Florida (and even southern U.S.) politics. When Bai writes "He has been deeply involved as an informal adviser to the party's candidates for governor," that approaches expressing the kingmaking, political don position that Bush is in.

2. Jeb Bush "is said to have mentored Marco Rubio, the Senate challenger in Florida who gave the Tea Partiers a national lift." Okay, so Rubio-a longtime lobbyist, which makes him the most unlikely person to be so successfully identified with the Tea Party-"is said," in fact, to be exist at this level solely due to Bush's steering and stewardship. When people talk about Rubio, they talk in almost literal terms about Jeb Bush being something even more than a Darth Vader to Rubio's Luke Skywalker.

3. "...Some influential Republicans persist in believing that Mr. Bush might still make a strong candidate in 2012... Mr. Bush says he has no interest in running, because he wants to make money for his family, but his political allies seem to read a 'for now' into such statements."

In fact this extremely rare appearance of Bush talking to a reporter, and this is something he does not much do, is related to these very "some influential Republicans," which are, actually, "pretty much all of them," and is also part of their quest to float a trial balloons of how a third Bush candidacy would go. ("Some" is probably properly to be said as "including Jeb himself.")

As for money: well, being in office cut down on his income for a while, sure. That's the problem with politics (though Cheney showed how to solve it). Bush left the Florida's governor office with a net worth of a mere $1.3 million, and immediately renewed his real estate broker's license, went on some fancy boards and became a consultant to Lehman Brothers.

This making "money for his family" is a strange thing to say, isn't it? All of his children are grown and scattered around; two are in their 30s! His son George Prescott Bush, at first moved to Texas, went into real estate and has since disappeared from public view after joining the military; last anyone heard, he was going to be shipped overseas. Who knows what Noelle is up to, but the other Bush son, still in his 20s, also went into real estate as well as politics after college, at least in part because it's an easy way to make money when you're from a well-connected family and also because Jeb was, for a time, South Florida's most successful real estate broker. Jeb Bush is often called a "real estate developer"; that is incorrect.

If things go even vaguely right, Jeb Bush will be a candidate for president, if not in 2012, then not long after. That America would even consider a third Bush is, to me, bizarre-even if Jeb Bush is the least objectionable of any Bush. But everyone knows that we're a country where brands succeed almost solely based on name recognition. That advantage is incalculable.

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Your Halloween Costume: A Bigot http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/your-halloween-costume-a-bigot http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/your-halloween-costume-a-bigot#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:18:33 +0000 Abe Sauer http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/your-halloween-costume-a-bigot offensive-911-costumesThe offensive costume is a Halloween staple. Because some people, you just can't reach teach. Combine a need for attention with alcohol and some markers and duct tape and sometimes you get something great. Sometimes you get something else. But we do expect businesses to know better. Read on for this year's most bigoted, misogynistic, racist costumes. All available from legitimate retailers. Including Amazon.com.

teen-dragon-lady-costume
Teen Asian Dragon Lady
The world of Suzie Wong includes registering as a sex offender, apparently.

feeling-mask
"Fee Ling"
It's even cheap. Just like all Chinese stuff.

obama-teeth-mask
Barack Obama
While the above is the worst example, why would you even try to do this? Because you're racist, that's why.

obama-pumpkin-mask
Pumpkin Head Obama
Is this racist? Might be. Is it beyond stupid? You bet your ass it is. Would the only person to wear something like this probably be kinda' racist? No doubt.

vagina-costume
The Vagina
"Way to go brah! Let me touch your clit! Oh, I can't find it! Get it? Ha ha. Gimme' another Bud Lite Lime." Hey women who sleep with these men human dildos, you're only encouraging them. (For shame, Amazon.)

illegal-alien-mask
Illegal Alien
Ha! Get it? It's a play on words, like going as delinquent beauty queen "Miss Behavin." Except racist. Target actually got into trouble for carrying this mask's full body counterpart. But this mask is so much worse; like a masterpiece from the Charlie Chan period.

gay-alien-mask
Gay-Lien
Ha! So gay.

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91 comments

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offensive-911-costumesThe offensive costume is a Halloween staple. Because some people, you just can't reach teach. Combine a need for attention with alcohol and some markers and duct tape and sometimes you get something great. Sometimes you get something else. But we do expect businesses to know better. Read on for this year's most bigoted, misogynistic, racist costumes. All available from legitimate retailers. Including Amazon.com.

teen-dragon-lady-costume
Teen Asian Dragon Lady
The world of Suzie Wong includes registering as a sex offender, apparently.

feeling-mask
"Fee Ling"
It's even cheap. Just like all Chinese stuff.

obama-teeth-mask
Barack Obama
While the above is the worst example, why would you even try to do this? Because you're racist, that's why.

obama-pumpkin-mask
Pumpkin Head Obama
Is this racist? Might be. Is it beyond stupid? You bet your ass it is. Would the only person to wear something like this probably be kinda' racist? No doubt.

vagina-costume
The Vagina
"Way to go brah! Let me touch your clit! Oh, I can't find it! Get it? Ha ha. Gimme' another Bud Lite Lime." Hey women who sleep with these men human dildos, you're only encouraging them. (For shame, Amazon.)

illegal-alien-mask
Illegal Alien
Ha! Get it? It's a play on words, like going as delinquent beauty queen "Miss Behavin." Except racist. Target actually got into trouble for carrying this mask's full body counterpart. But this mask is so much worse; like a masterpiece from the Charlie Chan period.

gay-alien-mask
Gay-Lien
Ha! So gay.

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91 comments

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