Jonathan Horn · May 31, 2012 at 8:08pm

As former President George W. Bush said at his portrait hanging ceremony today at the White House, there is now a symmetry to the presidents whose faces line the walls: The pictures start and end with a George W.  A classic line from a man who always took the long view of history.

I'll post a link in the comments section here to a transcript of President Obama's remarks as soon as they are released, so we can continue the discussion from yesterday.

Comments:


Israel P.
Joined
Feb '11
Israel Pickholtz

If the first and last are the same, it sounds like a good time to discontinue the custom.

Mel Foil
Joined
Jun '10
Mel Foil

The beginning and end of America's capitalist president era. Second era starts in 2013, we hope.


Joined
Jul '11
Caleb Taylor

The progress of evolution from President Washington to President Grant was alone evidence to upset Darwin.
-Henry Adams

I doubt Mr. Adams, if he were alive today, would find much from the Bush years to reverse this descent regardless the similarities in names between our first and forty-third Presidents.


Joined
Apr '11
wmartin

Bush has been using variations on that line since he was running in the primaries in 2000.

Jonathan Horn

Never gets old for me.

wmartin: Bush has been using variations on that line since he was running in the primaries in 2000. · 28 minutes ago
Jonathan Horn

As promised, here is the link to Obama's and Bush's remarks at the unveiling ceremony: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/31/remarks-president-obama-first-lady-michelle-obama-former-president-georg

EThompson
Joined
Dec '11
EThompson

Jonathan Horn: Never gets old for me.

wmartin: Bush has been using variations on that line since he was running in the primaries in 2000.

For me neither.

I usually enjoy these 'pomp and ceremony' events, but it was difficult to look at what was and what now, unfortunately, is.

Instugator
Joined
Aug '10
Instugator

Color me deeply suprised, but President Obama's words, at least on paper, appear very gracious.

However they disagree sharply with his stated positions over the last three years. In particular, giving credit in this speech for the intelligence work that led to the killing of Osama stands in sharp contrast to the 'gutsy call' meme that has been floating around for the last year. The differences between those positions (not to mention the continual harping on the economy he 'inherited') as opposed to these lines,

"President Bush understood that rescuing our economy was not just a Democratic or a Republican issue; it was a American priority. I’ll always be grateful for that."

leads me to suspect the speech was more satire than sincere.

Edited on June 1, 2012 at 4:56am
Michael Kellogg
Joined
Dec '10
Michael Kellogg

Interesting read.  I'm struck by a few things:

  • Obama uses the throwaway line, "We all love this country." If that is so, then why the push to "fundamentally transform" it?  One may seek to improve, but never to fundamentally transform, that which he loves.
  • The president often refers to heads of state by their first names.  At worst this is intentionally disrespectful; at best it's inappropriate and demeaning.  Notice that 43 never once called him "Barack," (no one ever does), even when being called "George" multiple times by the president.
  • I continue to admire that Obama appears to be a strong family man.  Good for him and his kids.
  • I worry that "millions of visitors" will ever have the chance to see these portraits. I never liked that 43 shut down public tours, and it shows no sign of changing.
  • Both the Bushes showed fantastic senses of humor; great jokes and a truly happy demeanor.  What a model couple they are.

If Obama and his colleagues showed this kind of friendliness toward Republicans more often, instead of the usual demonization, maybe we'd all be actually getting somewhere together.


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