As President George W. Bush’s Popularity Sinks, Tourism Takes a Hit in Crawford, Texas

Travel Blog  •  Michael Yessis  •  02.07.07 | 11:55 AM ET

Two summers ago, during the height of Cindy Sheehan’s anti-war protests near President George W. Bush’s Crawford, Texas ranch, I took an impromptu detour off I-35 on the way to Dallas and drove into town. Only 700 or so people live in Crawford, and there’s not much to it beyond a few dusty buildings, but with all the protesters (including protesters protesting the protesters), TV news crews, souvenir shoppers and curiosity seekers like me, it took some time to pass through. Crawford was buzzing unlike any small town I’ve ever seen. It turns out that the town once had a thriving little tourism business built around its connection to the president. But now, according to an AP story by Angela K. Brown, Crawford is struggling.

Brown writes:

Near the lone stoplight on Main Street, a for-sale sign hangs from a dusty window where a souvenir shop used to sell cufflinks, cowboy boots and denim shirts emblazoned “The Western White House.”

Another gift store across the street is shuttered too, though a sign says it will reopen elsewhere. And the biggest souvenir shop in Crawford is reporting a drop in sales.

The Washington professionals have their polls, their focus groups and their newspaper editorials. But Crawford, the 700-person town where President Bush’s ranch is located, has its trinket stores, and they have fallen on hard times, in what some say reflects the president’s sinking popularity over the war in Iraq and a daunting influx of anti-war protesters.

The residents Brown spoke with in town seem to be taking the economic downturn—and the president’s slide in popularity—in stride. “I think the president’s ratings will go up, and when that happens, the sales go up,” Bill Johnson, owner of Crawford’s largest gift shop, Yellow Rose, said. “As far as Crawford’s future, I think it looks bright. Is it going to be as hectic as it was a few years ago? No. But Crawford’s name is known far and wide, and when he retires, people who are endeared to him will want to come to Crawford.”

 

Tags: Celebrity Travel Watch, North America, United States, News and Briefs


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