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December 1, 2005
Hamiltonian W. - Did Bush Finally Read The Federalist Papers?
Topics: Political News and commentariesMackubin Thomas Owens, an associate dean of academics and a professor of national-security affairs at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. calls President Bush's speech at the Naval Academy yesterday as fine an example of republican rhetoric as he's heard since the presidency of Ronald Reagan.
In assessing the president's speech, he refers to Number 71 of The Federalist, in which Alexander Hamilton wrote about the relationship between presidential rhetoric and public opinion in a republic. He believes that the steps the president is now finally taking to explain the policy and strategy of the United States in Iraq means that he has at long last recognized Hamilton's principle: One of the most important functions of the president in our form of republican government, writes Hamilton, is to shape public opinion, not put his finger in the air to determine what direction the wind is blowing.
Few conservatives will differ with Owens' assessment, and like him, probably are wondering what took Bush so long to wake up to his responsibility of helping to shape public opinion instead of letting the Democratic Left do it for him, wrongly.
Posted by Richard at December 1, 2005 9:18 AM
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