Read My Lips: You are a Moron
Late Friday night, President George Herbert Walker Bush passed away peacefully. I am sure it is not on the death certificate but I believe he likely died of a broken heart. He probably found life so difficult without his wife of 72 years. Barbara had predeceased him by about 8 months.
I remember when he was elected President. I looked at him and Barbara and I didn't get it. They didn't appear like soul mates. I was wrong. I watched them throughout the last several decades. There was a reason their marriage lasted 72 years. They truly loved and cherished each other. Barbara was his chief cheerleader but also kept him humble. The 41st President had a legendary sense of humour. I think he had to develop it in order to be an equal to Barbara. She had amazing zingers.
It has been difficult to watch all of the tributes given to him over the weekend without seeing the underlying comparison to the current POTUS. No one is saying it out loud but the contrast is extraordinary. Bush came from what could be called as "white privilege" but apparently nobody told him. He lied about his age to join the navy and became a naval pilot. After the war, he and Barbara went to Texas so that he could make his own fortune and not rely on his father's fame or fortune.
His life was one of public service that continued beyond his Presidency. He and Bill Clinton became the best of friends and traveled throughout the world trying to make it a better place. A similar friendship developed between President Ford and Carter. People can still disagree on politics and be civil to each other.
The Press was hard on President Bush. That is actually their job. He respected that. Dana Carvey did a great impersonation of Bush on Saturday Night Live. President Bush thought it was hilarious and appeared on SNL with his "character" and played along. He understand the role of a Free Press in democracy.
If George H.W. Bush had it in him to be nasty, he hid it well. Climate change became to light during his Presidency. At that time, it was called the Green House Effect. People were thinking there was nothing that could be done and we just had to continue to watch the planet self-destruct. President Bush didn't deny climate change, in fact, he said those who don't believe this can be helped are not giving enough credit to the "White House Effect."
The other thing about President Bush was that he had friends. Him and Jim Baker met on a tennis court and became best friends. Baker was his Secretary of State. Their friendship lasted over five decades. That is only one example. In contrast to the current occupant of the White House who doesn't seem to have any friends other than those who share or marry his surname.
Shortly after President Bush passed, Trump issued a "me, me, me" tweet saying that he really wanted to have a post G20 press conference, but couldn't because of the passing of Bush. The next morning, he issued a very moving and appropriate and eloquent tribute. I can't imagine a reasonable person thinking that Trump actually was capable of writing that himself. I watched many tributes to President Bush throughout the weekend. I was particularly impressed with three former Presidents paying tribute to him on 60 Minutes. As I watched, my twitter account dinged incessantly. When I looked, it was a bunch of tone deaf tweets from POTUS talking about trade with China.
For some reason that I can't understand, President Bush said that he wanted Donald Trump to attend his funeral. First, I thought that was such a classy thing to do. Now, I think it is because President Bush really wants to get the last laugh. He wants The Donald to sit there for a couple of hours and hear about real service to country, to hear about diplomacy, to hear about appropriate behavior for a President, and for him to sit there uncomfortably for a couple of hours without an inappropriate tweet.
Well played, President George Herbert Walker Bush.
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