More on Evo

Following up on my earlier post, President Bush called Evo Morales to congratulate him on his victory in Bolivia. It is a reiteration of the idea that the Bush administration is waiting to see what Morales does, especially since he has yet to formally address the coca issue.

It does include one interesting tidbit, however, which is that the president calls his allies within a day or two after their elections, but waited over a week to call Morales. Maybe this is a strategy all presidents have used—I’m not sure. But the idea of calling your friends right away, while sending a message by not calling people you don’t like as much makes me think someone could do an interesting study comparing international diplomacy to high school. At international summits, everyone obsesses over who is invited, seating arrangements, who gets to talk, etc. Maybe what we learn in high school sticks with us longer than we think in unusual ways.