W drug question: not a hill to die on

There are two distinct issues involved in what has now become a
near-farcical story. 1) Did George W. Bush ever take cocaine? 2) Should
he answer that question?

Though no one has been able to produce any proof that W ever used
cocaine, we can reasonably wonder why, if he didn’t, he doesn’t just
come out and deny it. But from his point of view, there may be a
justifiable reason he hasn’t.

He has made it quite clear that he otherwise abhors this so-called
politics of personal destruction. This seems to have become thematic
with him, transcending his personal problem (or not) with drugs. It’s
almost as if he wants to force a referendum of sorts on the issue.

So it may be that the reason he will not fully answer the question is
that he is using this as kind of a test case about negative campaigning.

Accordingly, my hunch is that he is thinking along these lines, “I am
not going to participate in dirty politics. I am convinced the American
people are fed up with it, and I’m taking my case to them. I believe
they’ll support me on this.”

Whether or not he personally indulged in drugs, W has been very
consistent about his aversion to negative campaigning, in fact, to
negativity of any sort. He hasn’t attacked other candidates and has
remained positive and optimistic. He preaches a politics of
inclusiveness, and he talks about wanting to appeal to our better
angels. I’m convinced he means it.

Though Bush is genuinely passionate about eschewing negative
politics, it will be difficult, if not impossible for him to sell his
point in the context of his particular situation, where he has a
perceived conflict of interest. That is, he will be hard-pressed to
establish credibility arguing against negative campaigning in general
when it may appear that he is using that argument as a convenient excuse
to dodge questions concerning his own personal behavior.

Besides, I don’t subscribe to the glib view that it is below the belt
to discuss a candidate’s past behavior. Questions about a presidential
candidate’s use of illegal drugs are fair game because they may bear on
his character. Just because Democrat Clinton has gotten away with murder
(not literally) doesn’t mean Republicans should abandon character as an
issue. The framers were adamant that virtue would be among the
nonnegotiable traits of the Chief Executive.

My view is that such behavior, especially if in the distant past,
should not be a disqualifying event.

Of course, it is noteworthy that Democrats such as Tom Daschle, who
were most militant in their defense of Clinton’s “private” behavior —
when it wasn’t private at all — are now invoking this double standard.
They couldn’t care less whether someone has done drugs but they’ll milk
it for as many partisan points as they can.

But in W’s case, there are two additional reasons he must answer the
question definitively, and get it over with.

The first is that there are already endless comparisons between W and
Clinton, without W providing further ammunition. It’s not damaging to
Bush if people compare his pure political skills to Clinton’s, but
that’s where he should see to it that such comparisons end. By not fully
answering the question, he may appear to be playing it cute — like
Clinton might do. Above all else, in the post-Clinton era, we must purge
cuteness from politics. Forevermore!

The second is that W has been demonstrating anger and frustration of
late, especially when he’s asked this particular question. He needs to
minimize, not perpetuate such incidents, as they do not promote his
presidential image.

Bush should answer the question fully, and then draw his line in the
sand, without answering any further questions. The public will support
him on that. Dribbling out information little bits at a time, after
insisting he wouldn’t answer the question at all, makes him appear
squishy and rudderless, which could do far more damage to his standing
than revelations of actual drug use.

Plus, it will be much better for W to make any disclosures now with
plenty of time remaining before the first caucus. The public, it seems,
has been quite forgiving in these areas.

This is not a hill to die on. Hopefully Bush will not turn it into
one.