“As you know, our dear dog Barney, who had a special place in my heart — Putin dissed him and said, ‘You call it a dog?’’’...
“A year later, your mom and I go to visit and Vladimir says, ‘Would you like to meet my dog?’ Out bounds this huge hound, obviously much bigger than a Scottish terrier, and Putin looks at me and says, ‘Bigger, stronger and faster than Barney.’
“I just took it in. I didn’t react. I just said, ‘Wow. Anybody who thinks ‘my dog is bigger than your dog’ is an interesting character.’ And that painting kind of reflects that.”
ADDED: More about Bush's paintings of world leaders here. And this quote: "I expect I’ll be painting til I drop. And my last stroke, and I’m heading into the grave, I wonder what color it will be?"
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I think I'd like playing poker with W. I'd want to keep the stakes low though because I'm pretty sure I'd leave with an empty wallet.
That story told me that W has a great deal of situational awareness; taking his cues from what and who is around him and integrating them with his own experiences and values.
I think the problem with the intellectual mindset is that the integration consists primarily of reconciling your own thoughts independent of what is happening outside of yourself. It might go a long way toward explaining why they seem so often surprised by the real world.
Belligerent Drunk Stand-up Comic says:
Dogs: now there is a loyal animal. True friend, a dog. My dog and I, we share a compact: I feed him, house him and tell him he's a good boy and in return he attacks bicyclists and skateboarders just like I trained him. Stop with the frowns, dogs WANT to be trained, it gives them a sense of purpose, even if they are working for what amounts to be minimum wage in dog pay...
(long sip)
I don't even have to issue a command: he can be pleasantly dozing on the lawn, dreaming doggie dreams, and the moment he hears the sound of a bicycle approaching he is up and running and -- sure enough -- a few seconds later there's a bicyclist rolling in the street, crying. (sips drink) C'mon, you all know bicyclists and skateboarders have it coming: you want to zip through the world like a gazelle you have to expect the lion...thank you, you all have been a peach...
Putin's dog said to Bo "You call your owner a President?"
Expanding a bit on my previous comment, I'm reminded of someone else's observation (it might even have been an Althouse post) of how fond in interviews Obama is of explaining his own thought process when makng a point. Indeed, in addition I now recall the standing up Q&A's for fear that Obama would go off into the weeds on any given question.
Astute posts, CWJ.
When Bush looked in Putin's eyes and saw his soul, was it the color black?
Luxury dogs... I has eet.
The President of Ukraine should get a Great Dane.
GW Bush's stupid remark about seeing Putin's soul is constantly quoted, but he learned from experience. The Incumbent never learns from experience. I think it's because to learn from experience you have to admit to yourself that you were wrong, and the Incumbent is too lacking in self-confidence to admit that.
Scary portrait.
Many have wondered whether Mr. Bush is working through some unresolved issues with his art
Bless your heart, NYT.
The Godfather said...
GW Bush's stupid remark about seeing Putin's soul is constantly quoted, but he learned from experience. The Incumbent never learns from experience
A buddy of mine who is way too busy to keep up with much in detail asked me about Putin/Crimea a couple days ago. In my explanation, the "I saw into his soul" was the heart of my explanation. Bush made a mistake, realized it, reversed course. Obama made the exact same mistake and of course will never ever learn anything.
I wonder if it was a lefty who hacked the emails that revealed Bush's painting, and if so, I wonder if they hate that exposing it has softened a lot of people feelings about Bush. Hell, I know Obama has softened my feelings on Bush, I only THOUGHT he was a bad president. How wrong Obama has shown me to be.
Obama better take up painting.
Putin is a guy most of us have encountered in our life: a mean, physical SOB who probes for a weakness and then exploits it ruthlessly.
I've encountered guys like that in grade school, when I picked up garbage in the summers, in the legal profession. Putin lives in a society that rewards this personality, especially when it's paired with cunning. Ultimately, he only respects those who will stand up to him.
No wonder he jokes at our President's expense.
"Many have wondered" = "Me and my favorite barista joked about"
Interesting how he painted Putin with such dead eyes.
But Big Mike, Putin has dead eyes. Is there a photo of him anywhere showing delight with sperkling eyes?
W is quite an accomplished artist. He really nails Putin. It's a very plastic style that seems subtly cubist.
@CWJ, my point exactly.
I looked up what Bush said at the time he first was face to face with Vlad:
"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue.
"I was able to get a sense of his soul."
Notice the absence of the word "likeable"? Or any other word suggesting friendliness? I think that this portrait suggests the sense that Dubya truly got of Putin's soul.
T Rellis - if Obama took up painting, he would specialize I self-portraits. Just as he specializes in autobiographies.
He forgot to include his reptilian nipples.
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