CRAWFORD, Texas — During his eight years as president, Ronald Reagan spent approximately one year in California, much of that time at his ranch near Santa Barbara. George W. Bush is on pace to beat that record--by a country mile.
During the first 100 days of his presidency, Bush will have spent all or part of 16 days at his 1,580-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch by the time his current four-day sojourn ends today.
That projects to 467 days over an eight-year stretch, or 233 days, give or take a few hours, should he serve one term.
As much as Bush may echo Reagan in policy and pace, however, Crawford isn't Santa Barbara. Nor is it Martha's Vineyard, Bill Clinton's preferred vacation spot. Nor even Kennebunkport, Maine, where the first President Bush went for what he called "re-creation."
It isn't coastal. It isn't chi-chi quaint. But in the mild spring, it is green, and it is friendly.
All that seems just fine with this president from West Texas.
What should we make of these presidential retreats? Let the president explain it himself, as he did Wednesday evening at a Republican fund-raising dinner in Little Rock, Ark., on his way to the ranch.
"I'm headed to Crawford, Texas, after this speech. They say, well, you must not like to live in Washington because you like to go to your ranch or Camp David. Well, I like to do both. I like--I love my life in the White House, I love getting up every morning and going into this majestic office that we call the Oval Office.
"But I also like to stay in touch with the people that got me here."
That's where the ranch comes in.
He continued:
"I like to get outside of Washington. I like to go to where the space is open, where I can walk around with Spot and Barney, the two family dogs. My wife loves our country, the country house we've got, and so do I, and so I beg your forgiveness for not eating dinner here tonight. . . . I'm fixing to get on Air Force One and take it to Crawford, Texas."
The ranch is about seven miles from the center of Crawford. That would be an intersection where a flashing red light is sufficient to keep control at the town's main junction. The nearest full-blown traffic light is perhaps another seven miles away.
Crawford has an elementary school, a former gas station now grown large--it was recently converted into a corner restaurant and gas station and named the Coffee Station.
