Laura's Red Dress & A missed Opportunity

.At last Sunday night's Kennedy Center Honors, Laura Bush wore the red dress pictured above. The dress is an $8500 Oscar de la Renta creation picked especially for the occasion. Everything was fine until three other women showed up wearing the exact same dress

Mrs. Bush must have been horrified, because according to accounts, she unobtrusively left the occasion and returned later wearing a different dress. Of course, she had every right to react as she did, but it did show that she's as poor a politician as her husband.

By changing the dress, she made it seem as if she thought herself too important to be seen in the same dress as others. This has made her a laughingstock in much of the media and many blogs. I have to wonder how someone more politically astute would have handled the situation.

Couldn't she have presented herself [and therefore her husband] in a little better light, if she had done something different? Let's say that instead of changing the dress, she got together with the other three women, and the four posed together for the media. Then she could have made some joke about it such as "I'm really glad these ladies got my memo about the uniform of the day."

It would have removed the embarrassment of the other three ladies, and shown Americans that she can take a joke -- even about herself. It would have given the impression that she's one of the people, rather than appearing to be above the common people. Most importantly, it would have had people laughing with her instead of at her. It would have created a bit more good will for both Bushs.

The really good politicians know that an embarrassing situation is also an opportunity to show their humanity and garner some good will. That could have been done in this situation, but it wasn't.