During the 1970’s, my father’s work with conservative leaders offered me the privilege of growing up around some fairly well-known national evangelical leaders and their families. I became friends with some of their children. One day during the early 1980’s, one of these children appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. It was a dark day for me as I watched this young man — a friend — try to win the approval of the audience by demonstrating that, unlike his “square” preacher father, he was cool, listened to rock music, and knew how to be an independent thinker. Incredibly, this young man believed he was helping his father’s public image, by distancing himself from his godly father.

Last night America watched another such shameful display as the Bush daughters rose to the podium at the Republican National Convention — we must assume, with the blessing of their parents. The reporters who commented on the display used terms like “foolish,” “childish,” and “unhelpful” to the President’s cause. They were right.

This morning I received the following email:

I am writing to ask that you address in your blog the terribly disrespectful content and tone that Jenna Bush displayed with her grandmother, Barbara Bush, last night at the GOP convention. How disappointed and embarrassed we were to learn that a family who generally stands for the things of Christ would allow their daughter to so publicly tarnish the family’s reputation in the name of being “hip.” Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised because the girls have been in trouble before, but this was not the venue. S & K. M

The partial text of the speech the Bush girls delivered to the one hundred million viewers watching worldwide is below:

Jenna Bush: It’s great to be here. We love Arnold. Isn’t he awesome? Thanks to him, if one of us ever decides to marry a Democrat, nobody can complain. Except maybe our Grandmother, Barbara. And, if she didn’t like it, we would definitely hear about it. We already know she doesn’t like some of our clothes, or music, or most of the TV shows we watch. Granny, we love you dearly, but you’re just not very hip. She thinks “Sex in the City” is something married people do, but never talk about. We spent the last four years trying to stay out of the spotlight. Sometimes we did a little better than others. We kept trying to explain to Dad that when we were young and irresponsible. Well, we were young and irresponsible.”

Barbara Bush: Jenna and I are really not very political, but we love our Dad too much to stand back and watch from the sidelines. We realized that this would be his last campaign, and we wanted to be a part of it. Besides, since we’ve graduated from college, we’re looking around for something to do for the next few years ... kind of like Dad.

Jenna Bush: Our parents always encouraged us to be independent, and to dream big. We’ve spent a lot of time at the White House, so when we showed up for work the first day, we thought we had it all figured out. But, apparently, my Dad already has a chief of staff ... named Andy.

Barbara Bush: When your Dad’s a Republican and you go to Yale, you learn to stand up for yourself. So I knew I wasn’t quite ready to be President - but #2 sounded good - who is this man they call Dick Cheney?

Jenna Bush: I think I know a lot about campaigns, after all my Dad and Grandfather have both run for President, so I put myself in charge of Strategy. Then I got an angry call from some guy named... ‘Karl’?

Barbara Bush: We knew we had something to offer. I mean, we’ve traveled the world. We’ve studied abroad. But, when we started coming home with foreign policy advice, Dad made us call ... Condi?

Jenna Bush: Not to be deterred, we thought surely there’s a place for strong willed, opinionated women in communications... and next thing we know, Karen’s back! So, we decided the best thing we could do here tonight would be to introduce someone we know and love. You know all those times when you were growing up and your parents embarrassed you? Well, this is payback time ... on LIVE TV!!!

Barbara Bush: Take this... I know it’s hard to believe, but our parents favorite term of endearment for each other is actually “Bushie”. And, we had a hamster, too let’s just say...ours didn’t make it.

Jenna Bush: But, contrary to what you might read in the papers... our parents are actually pretty cool. They do know the difference between mono... and Bono. When we tell them we’re going to see Outkast, they know it’s a band... and not a bunch of misfits. And, if we really beg them, they will even ‘Shake it Like a Polaroid Picture’.

Barbara Bush: So, okay- maybe they have learned a little pop culture from us... But, we’ve learned a lot more from them. About what matters in life. About unconditional love. About focus and discipline. They taught us the importance of a good sense of humor. Of being open-minded and treating everyone with respect. And, we learned the true value of honesty and integrity.

—

Dear friends, we have reached the point in our nation where people actually believe it is honoring to dishonor their parents.

My only response is this. First, we need to pray for President Bush. What great things could happen if our national leader embraced a biblical vision for law and family. He could be God’s vehicle for national reformation. Great things happen when leaders turn to Christ and open the “lost book of the law.” This will not happen as long as our leader continues to endorse civil unions for sodomites, endorses abortion for children conceived in difficult circumstances, sends women to their death in combat, or appoints judges who attack those Christians standing for the law of God.

Second, we need revival in America, and in the families of America. We need to rediscover the biblical principle of honor. The Bible teaches that true leadership and revival are linked to biblical priorities for the family as the hearts of fathers are turned to their children, and children honor their parents. (By the way, one of the finest examples of a man who had a Gospel revival and family reformation is Constitution Party Presidential Candidate, and home school father, Michael Peroutka — you have to read his story!)

Postcript:

This from a political consultant who dropped us a note:

Dear Doug...The sad part is that their speech was most assuredly not written by them. Even if it was, it would have been edited and approved by multiple consultants and Bush advisors. This means the Bush campaign wanted to convey the Bushes as your typical American sitcom disaster family. The Kerry girls are very similar. They appeared at the MTV music awards. Regretfully, Vice Presdient Dick Cheney’s daughter is a top lesbian activist who dishonors her father’s work, and Newt Gingrich’s daughter was in the same boat when her father was Speaker of the House of Representatives.