James Taranto cites Sen. Feinstein's grounds for voting against Judge Roberts. He doesn't emote properly.
Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin voted "no," mostly, it seems, because Roberts didn't talk enough about his feelings. Here's Feinstein from the transcript:I attempted to get a sense of his temperament and values. And I asked him about the end-of-life decisions: clearly, decisions that are gut-wrenching, difficult and extremely personal. Rather than talking to me as a son, a husband, a father--which I specifically requested he do--he gave a very detached response.
This seems to be the same problem people have with the Federal response to Hurricane Katrina, and especially Bush's performance.
It boils down to the word "performance", as in drama.
Debates over how effective the federal response was, and who was supposed to be in charge in the first place completely miss the point.
What the left wanted was a president who would cry. Once a president sheds that tear, and speaks with that quaver in his voice, he's done all he needs to do. After he proves he cares, response can take as long as it likes. The people who live long enough to see it will know he cares, or if they protest the delay, they'll be shouted down. ("Fool! Can't you see he cares?")
On the other hand, you can have the best response in the world, and if all you do is have help there when it's needed, but show no emotion, you're branded as uncaring, and everything that goes wrong is laid at your door.
Maybe all Bush needs is a heart transplant –'; from his chest to his sleeve.
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