41
Democrats 30 years ago would be shocked at how Democrats today are extolling and eulogizing President George H.W. Bush.
In 1988, while Bush talked about a “kinder, gentler” America and “a thousand points of light,” he let Lee Atwater run a viciously negative, racist (Willie Horton) campaign against the hapless Michael Dukakis. Atwater apologized on his deathbed.
As Reagan’s VP, in Doonesbury’s delightful term, Bush “put his manhood in a blind trust.” He embraced what he once called “voodoo economics.” He flipped on abortion. He bragged he was a key player, but claimed he was out of the loop on Iran-Contra. Again and again, he caved in to the right-wingers.
And President Bush gave America Justice Clarence Thomas.
When Jim Hunt looked at running for Governor again in 1992, Bush loomed large. He had 90 percent approval ratings after the Gulf War. Some of Hunt’s closest allies argued it was suicide to sail against that wind.
Our pollster Harrison Hickman was the first to spot Bush’s underlying vulnerability: If he could win the war, surely he could fix the economy – if he cared. But the patrician Bush, who missed out on the Depression growing up on his parents’ Connecticut estate, didn’t have a clue. He got trounced by Bill Clinton, who felt our pain. Clinton nearly won North Carolina. Hunt won a third term.
Over time, Bush got to looking better. When George W. Bush (and Cheney and Rumsfeld) puffed and postured, we missed 41’s prudence. We came to see the goodness, if not greatness, of the man – his courage and courtesy, his decency and dedication to duty, his gift for friendship and love of family, his humility and his humor.
Then came Trump. Now we see how far we’ve fallen. No wonder we mourn George.
41
Democrats 30 years ago would be shocked at how Democrats today are extolling and eulogizing President George H.W. Bush.
In 1988, while Bush talked about a “kinder, gentler” America and “a thousand points of light,” he let Lee Atwater run a viciously negative, racist (Willie Horton) campaign against the hapless Michael Dukakis. Atwater apologized on his deathbed.
As Reagan’s VP, in Doonesbury’s delightful term, Bush “put his manhood in a blind trust.” He embraced what he once called “voodoo economics.” He flipped on abortion. He bragged he was a key player, but claimed he was out of the loop on Iran-Contra. Again and again, he caved in to the right-wingers.
And President Bush gave America Justice Clarence Thomas.
When Jim Hunt looked at running for Governor again in 1992, Bush loomed large. He had 90 percent approval ratings after the Gulf War. Some of Hunt’s closest allies argued it was suicide to sail against that wind.
Our pollster Harrison Hickman was the first to spot Bush’s underlying vulnerability: If he could win the war, surely he could fix the economy – if he cared. But the patrician Bush, who missed out on the Depression growing up on his parents’ Connecticut estate, didn’t have a clue. He got trounced by Bill Clinton, who felt our pain. Clinton nearly won North Carolina. Hunt won a third term.
Over time, Bush got to looking better. When George W. Bush (and Cheney and Rumsfeld) puffed and postured, we missed 41’s prudence. We came to see the goodness, if not greatness, of the man – his courage and courtesy, his decency and dedication to duty, his gift for friendship and love of family, his humility and his humor.
Then came Trump. Now we see how far we’ve fallen. No wonder we mourn George.