The Common Touch Leaving Crawford

There’s nothing like watching a candidate trying the “I’m just like you, the common voting hoi polloi” schtick when pandering for votes.

Ever since Sen. Barack Obama‘s “bitter” comment, Sens. Hillary “I Loves Me a Crown Royal” Clinton and John “I Heart Bush’s Tax Breaks for Billionaires” McCain have been feigning the common touch. Now for years, the king of adopted down-home-isms has been the commander in chief himself. Look at him now, clearing brush. Here’s another photo op … of him clearing brush. He has a ranch, you know! But according to Waco’s KWTX, President George W. Bush won’t actually be retiring to his ranch in Crawford. No, turns out that the Connecticut Cowboy will actually be spending his twilight years in Dallas. Hey, maybe he still has a box at Rangers Ballpark.

Now far be it from Newsdesk to suggest that Dubya bought the Prairie Chapel Ranch in 1999 (just before his presidential run) to remake this Andover-educated Yaley Skull and Bonesman as scrub-clearing reg’lar folk for the press. That point is made with greater force by the population of Crawford in the documentary called, erm, Crawford, which debuted at South by Southwest this year. Many of them saw through the stage act years ago.

austinchronicle.com/Newsdesk

This article appears in April 18 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.