The New York Times the other day had a piece pointing out that White House staff members are, well, exhausted. Long days, a grueling schedule, and high pressure are to blame, we’re told. Here’s Victor Davis Hanson’s take:
Bush aides left over policy disagreements and anger over wrong-headed policies; Obama aides leave due to burnout in service to the Great Cause. (Though I do remember President Bush looking a bit haggard in the dark days of Iraq and Katrina, as an Alfred Knopf novel and an award-winning docudrama imagining his assassination were winning applause.)
Does this serial complaining come from the top, or is it simply characteristic of the urban technocratic class? One protagonist of the Times piece complains about the incessant Blackberrying of the 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. grind, and the sheer exhaustion that required days of restorative long sleep — but landing a job as CEO of a multi-million-dollar publishing company must be some consolation.
Don’t forget: These staff members are celebrities in their own right, having been fawned over by the national press — and by the New York Times in particular. The young staffers were the subject of a multi-thousand word article in New York Times Magazine.
But at least through all the gruel (fighting for the Great Cause!), they’re still able to make time for a fun, rowdy round of shirtless beer pong. Instead of retirement, the White House might be well served, as John Harris recommended, to reinstate the house babysitter.
