My late great-grandmother used an old adage many, many times, which I am sure was a variation of something taught to her, ‘enough is enough and too much stinks,” she’d say. I sat in my living room recliner Saturday and shed a tear for the Bush family. No, no I was no fan of either Bush’s presidency or the failed candidacy of Jeb Bush, but I am a fan of honor. The photo at the top of this story is quickly becoming an iconic look at the potential of America. A Black President and First Lady, a President whose wife made it acceptable to hold and nurture an AIDS baby, a President whose most significant accomplishment was to help with the eradication of malaria in Africa. A President who is truly a self-made man who overcame an impoverished childhood and I cannot forget the current First Lady who is an immigrant.
While the country grieved Nero tweeted…
The country wrestled with the memories, failures, and accomplishments of the Bush dynasty but for a few hours, even the most ardent partisan took a moment to lay down their political armaments. President Trump did take a moment out of his weekend golf matches and 29 tweet rage storms and paid homage to the fallen matriarch of the Bush family. Of course, his moments of decorum quickly give way to his nature. Unfortunately for me, I keep expecting graciousness and keep getting the same disappointing boorish lout. You would think for the sake of the republic that Trump could lay down his phone, for a day, and allow the tweet blisters on his thumbs a chance to heal. At least long enough to give the Bush family and the country a weekend of reflection. I wonder if the President is so petty that a picture showing four of the five living ex-President’s and his obvious exclusion was just too much for him to bear?
Stealing back the spotlight
President’s wives are infinitely more popular than their husbands. Republicans respected Michelle Obama (although they invented reasons not to like her) and Democrats liked Laura Bush. For a while, Hillary Clinton enjoyed the approval of the Elephant (until she announced for President) and even the majority of Democrats either like or pity Melania Trump.
Of all these women, Barbara Bush seemed to have crossed that divide of like and respect. She wore her shock of white hair unapologetically, allowed her husband to jump out of perfectly good airplanes and told the world that all the unfounded fears of AIDS patients, propagated by her husband’s boss, Ronald Reagan, were as superfluous as his rosy cheeks. Hillary Clinton is probably the most famous woman to advocate you ‘stand by your man’ besides Tammy Wynette.
Mrs. Bush stood by three men, two Presidents of the United States and the Governor of Florida. I am torn between whether Donald Trump disrespected her by not coming or paid her the ultimate respect by staying away. I am more apt to fall on the side of the latter not the former. She deserved better and having four of the five living ex-Presidents feeling graced by her spirit is pretty high praise. Rest well, Mrs. Barbara Bush; June 8, 1925-April 17, 2018