Presidential

By Martin Concagh

What makes a President 'presidential'?

Is it tone of voice, is it the right suits, is it saying the right phrases to the right people?

In Presidential, Martin Concagh explores an alternate world through the defining moments of different American Presidents. The influential moments of faces both familiar and unfamiliar to our world; what defined the presidencies sick men, grieving men, angry men and combative men (and women) and how that defined their world. What they did and what they said. How they handled their own scandals and crises and wars in a world that may seem a lot like our own but is subtly different.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sea Lion Press
• Release date: Jul 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386758273

Book preview

This is a work of fiction. While ‘real-world’ characters may appear, the nature of the divergent story means any depictions herein are fictionalised and in no way an indication of real events. Above all, characterisations have been developed with the primary aim of telling a compelling story.

Published by Sea Lion Press, 2017. All rights reserved.

"In politics, the word ‘Presidential’ is often tossed around almost casually. We talk about politicians and candidates and officials who can and can't look or sound presidential. We use the word liberally without ever really indicating what exactly we mean by it. What does it mean, really? Everyone has a slightly different answer. It means that you should look a certain way, dress a certain way, talk a certain way. To be able to do a good speech, have a good comeback for each attack line and loaded question. Have the right facial expressions and inflexions as you talk. But every president has defined ‘presidential’ slightly differently.

In 47 articles leading up to election day, Milton Rios explores a speech, statement or quote which in some way defines the character and legacy of each American President – and how each one defined what it meant to be Presidential. A new column lands every Monday and Friday."

41.

George Bush at the Third Presidential Debate, 1988

This is pushing the self-made rules of this column a bit. It happened before George Bush was inaugurated, or even elected, but it was the man personified. Poised, prepared, perfectly statesmanlike, but a bit... passive?

Gary Hart and George Bush had been tied in the polls for much of the campaign, trading attacks and smears. The Bush campaign was spreading the ever-persistent rumours of Hart’s infidelity, but his explicit denials seemed to be working. The Democrats seemed to have the advantage in Gary Hart. His work in the Senate to stimulate high-tech business had given him the title of an Atari Democrat. The title embodied his strengths: youthful, savvy, forward-thinking. The Bush campaign tried to paint Hart/Gore as the most left-wing ticket since McGovern, but it rang hollow when their new brand of liberalism looked so cool and cutting-edge.

Then the Donna Rice scandal broke. It wasn’t so much the fact that Hart had had an affair that did him in, it was everything else. That he’d denied the sex rumours for so long to anyone who would listen. That he’d been using the words truth and Integrity so much as he attacked the Republicans over Iran-Contra. That he looked so ridiculous in the infamous photo with Donna Rice, her sitting daintily on his lap as he looked on nervously, wearing a T-shirt with the words Monkey Business Crew.

Until those photos got splashed over tabloid