Super-Sizing The President; George Bush has never fully inhabited the role of president. He still often seems to be impersonating a commander in chief.

Publication: Newsweek

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Byline: Jonathan Alter

Can George W. Bush be sold like Ronald Reagan? Within weeks, the president will begin the biggest political advertising campaign in history, unloading more than $150 million in TV ads in a dozen swing states over six months. Those expecting an onslaught against the Democratic nominee will be disappointed; the law now requires this tag line in the candidate's voice:

"I'm George W. Bush and I approved this message."

That means that for all the nastiness injected into the political bloodstream on sex or shirking guard duty or Hanoi Jane, the big ad buys in prime time--the ones most Americans actually see--will be largely positive. The idea is to portray the president as a principled wartime leader who kept us safe and...

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