Using the Bully Pulpit Wisely

This is the second time in as many weeks that President Bush has been quoted by others opining on the state of the Democratic presidential nomination battle. If case you haven’t heard, President Bush believes, or is said to believe, (1) that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the Democratic nominee but (2) that she will not be elected in November. Thankfully, he is keeping his musings on the GOP race to himself.

It is hard to know what is causing the president to speak out at this particular time on the state of the Democratic presidential nomination. Perhaps his advisers think that this will create sympathy for her among Democrats and hasten her nomination. That’s a dangerous three-cushion bank shot that could easily backfire in any number of ways. And who says she would be the weakest candidate, as the president is said to believe?

In a larger context, though, it’s hard to see how this helps the president himself. A president always has more authority when speaking as president than as a political commentator. There is only one president at a time; lots of people, including yours truly, can fill the latter role.

A president can best help his party succeed by dealing with the issues and helping to make the political environment as friendly as possible for the candidates of his party. If the economy stays strong and the situation in Iraq continues to improve, GOP candidates at all levels will become stronger. The president should be focused on those important tasks.