A Conversation with Louis Dubose

Louis Dubose
[“El Gobernador” TAP Vol. 11 Issue 1] is the editor of The Texas Observer and the co-author (with Molly Ivins) of a forthcoming book on George W. Bush. He recently spoke with Edward Cohn, a staff writer at The American Prospect, about his article on Bush and the Hispanic vote and on Texas politics in general.

EC: Your article describes George W. Bush’s campaign to win the Hispanic vote in Texas. Are these efforts a good guide to the future- both in terms of how he’ll campaign and in terms of how successful he’ll be?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

In your article, you describe the “striking extent to which Latinos have claimed Bush as one of their own.” How did Bush achieve this- through policy arguments, through marketing, or what?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

On another level, some analysts have said that Hispanics are a natural constituency for the GOP: they’re culturally conservative and potentially receptive to the party’s platform on school vouchers or economics. Should we really be surprised at Bush’s success?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

Has Bush’s support in the Hispanic community suffered since the election as a result of these policies?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

What issues did the Democrats pursue? Did they just take the Hispanic vote for granted?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

You’ve done a lot of your reporting on Bush for The Texas Observer. What sort of publication is that?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

Around the country, no one’s terribly clear on what Bush means when he refers to “compassionate conservatism.” Do people in Texas have a better idea?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

You and Molly Ivins have written a book on Bush’s record. What observations can you offer that could help clarify what he’d do as president?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

What other issues do you cover in your book?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.

Any closing thoughts on Bush’s record as governor, or on the likely shape of a Bush presidency?

What really has to be said about George Bush is that he has little interest in policy and little interest in governance, and I would predict that if he’s elected, his administration would be remarkably similar to Ronald Reagan’s, in the sense that he would be a very disengaged president. His policy here is largely staff- driven. He’s a great guy- it’s hard not to like him. He’s the world’s most likable governor. In that sense he’s also a potential Ronald Reagan in that there’s almost a cult of the Bush personality. But he admits that he has little interest in policy. He says he likes to delegate policy decisions to his subordinates and to make sure they’re good people. It wouldn’t be as ideological, but a Bush presidency would be very similar to the Reagan administration in the way it operates.