Politicians are usually so coached and cloistered that the window of truth
remains tightly shut. But every once in a while, it opens a crack.
Such was the case in Albuquerque the other day when New Mexico Gov. Gary
Johnson, a Republican, was introducing his friend George W. Bush, the Texas
governor and the GOP's presumptive nominee for president.
Now, the Bush campaign has worked very hard in recent months to portray its
candidate as a man of reasonable intelligence. That has not been easy in the
face of missteps, mispronunciations and other signals that the Texan might be a
few bales short in the brain barn.
Bush has even been posing for pictures with faux intellectuals such as Henry
Kissinger in order to create the impression that he can hold his own on issues
like war and peace.
But Johnson, a man known for his frankness on issues such as drug policy
reform, offered a taste of the true Texan. The New Mexico governor began his
introduction of Bush before a crowd of 600 by saying, "I'll tell you a
story.''
Here's what Johnson then revealed:
"At one of these governors' conferences, George turns to me and says,
`What are they talking about?' I said, `I don't know.' He said, `You don't know
anything, do you?' And I said, `Not one thing.' He said, `Neither do I.' And we
kind of high-fived.''
Celebrating ignorance with a high five.
Now, that's the real George W.
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