Straight Talk
August 2009
All things considered, it makes me wonder why on earth anyone would want to be President of the United States. Some men are eager to be the most powerful person on earth, without realizing the terrific responsibility that goes along with it. Or, what they will have to put up with when they are. Political campaigns seem to go on forever and far more boring than we remember. It got to the point during the past campaigns that almost everyone didn’t care who won and wouldn’t have cared if both lost. Desperate for a new approach, news programs and talk shows turned their sights on the new President even before he took office and tried and are still trying to make newsworthy what he eats, who his friends are and were and what he likes to do to relax. After all the embarrassing details concerning what Clinton liked to do for recreation, it has been refreshing to know that Bush and Obama like to eat hot dogs and most importantly, neither touch cigars. Programs enlist endless streams of former bureaucrats to reveal what the new presidential style will be, and how it will differ from the last Democratic style. Many so-called experts are pained to say that it will differ, they fear, radically from the Clinton era. Most thinking people devoutly pray this is true. Many supercilious guests have in snide ways said Bush’s style was informal, inferring that bare feet and undershirts were appropriate dress for White House events. Interesting, but untrue. Contrary to popular belief, no presidential couple in recent memory has given an improper state dinner. While it is true that unexpected things have occurred, all major details are handled by a professional staff responsible for insuring all events will glitter and gleam. State functions have always employed a set routine that any politician regardless of their background or personal preference can follow. The same people who planned, cooked, served and herded guests for President Carter are probably still there ready to do the same thing for President Obama. The only change in recent years was during the Kennedy administration when dinner was cut back to four or five courses from seven. And, guests were seated at small round tables where they could be mixed without violating protocol. Speaking of Kennedy, President Eisenhower called Kennedy Little Boy Blue and considered him a mental light weight and didn’t have the proper reverence for the presidency. I hope the Eisenhowers weren’t too shocked about the round tables. Presidents are people after all, and have differing ideas of what a presidency is and how they should behave while holding that office. For instance, George Washington adopted a rather regal manner and never touched guests even to shake hands. He merely bowed to them. And he didn’t indulge in any small talk either. No guests ever entered his private quarters. No matter how informal any President or members of his family are, they can’t top Abigail Adams, wife of President Adams who hung her wash out to dry in the Audience Room. President Roosevelt shocked the nation when he served hot dogs to the King and Queen of England. When Roosevelt served the King a martini, he remarked that only since Prohibition had ended could cocktails be served in the White House, but his mother still did not approve. The King sighed, “Neither does my mother.” President Lyndon Johnson kept a tape recorder in his desk and even under his bed. He recorded all conversations for his memoirs he intended to write when he left office. At the transition ceremony with President-elect Nixon, he recommended that Nixon should do the same. Much to Nixon’s later regret. `One can only imagine the conversation between Bush and Clinton when they met. Clinton has said he really hated the thought of leaving the White House. Who could blame him? He was evicted from public housing where he lived rent free for eight years and lost his job. On top of that his wife got million of dollars to write a book about her life. What a revolting prospect that must have been. Maybe Bush suggested a job opportunity for Clinton, I’ll bet he would have loved to tell him where to go. The Bushes were cordial and friendly to the Obamas when they arrived for their official first visit. Michelle brought Laura Bush a lovely gift and Obama and Bush had a friendly and cordial visit. No matter how eager the Obamas were to begin living in the White House, it couldn’t hold a candle to how eager the Bushes were to leave. OBAMA: BUSH:
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