To this end, it would have been a gesture in the spirit of reconciliation had Bush made an appearance on Emory's campus. The newly-elected head of state made his way along Clifton Road on Thursday to visit Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, but Emory's main campus was not on his itinerary. This is a shame, since Bush certainly would be taking strides in the direction of partisan reconciliation by visiting a university whose student body harbors many liberal sentiments, and whose faculty includes many critics of Bush. A request for a presidential visit is a large one, but with Bush so close at hand, he probably could have been persuaded to venture the 100 yards or so to Emory's campus had he only been issued a warm invitation by Emory's higher-ups. Certainly they knew Bush would be in town.
Most Emory students stand on the left side of the political spectrum.
This would also have been a grand opportunity for Bush to demonstrate his ability to unite and reconcile. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Bush visited the Fernbank Museum of Natural History and Egleston before proceeding to Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. During this election cycle Emory has attracted only Ernestine Bradley, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley, and Matt Lieberman, son of losing vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman. Bush definitely missed out on a chance to see our campus, but maybe the Administration should do a better job at making the president seem welcome.