Not really a political discussion
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (64169)
United States
July 29, 2024 4:35pm CST
I'm not going to discuss any President after 2000. I want to make that abundantly clear here at the beginning. And if you want to, I will not respond to it. I will, probably toward the end, tell a funny story, but not to say how good or bad anyone is.
Now, I was reading an article about Watergate, yes, that Watergate. It got me thinking about Richard Nixon and that got me thinking about Presidents in general.
There have been some Presidents who were good with foreign affairs. There have been some good a domestic affairs. There have been some who were good at both and, needless to say, some who were awful with both. And some who became President for other reasons.
Richard Nixon was pretty darn good at foreign affairs, he was awful at domestic ones.
Jimmy Carter was good with domestic affairs but seen as weak with foreign ones by nations outside of the U.S.
LBJ - he was not a very nice man, he was rude, sexist and, shall we say, 'earthy?' He was also pretty good with domestic affairs. It is hard to say exactly how bad he was with foreign affairs because he had been trying to follow what he thought JFK would want, at least until he was elected on his own.
Speaking of JFK, well... it is hard to say how good, or bad, he was. He was beloved by many. Even more after he was shot. It is like you can't judge him because of it. He certainly wasn't as bad as many in either foreign or domestic affairs, but I doubt you could say he was great at either.
Eisenhower, what can you say? He played a mean game of golf? He was a good general, better than some who also became Presidents (can you say Grant? I knew you could.) I don't really remember much about him being President, but I do appreciate the interstate highways he pushed for. Eisenhower was the last President that had a view of a balanced government, not having any one of the three branches having more power.
Now, I'm pretty sure all of those of us who can remember Eisenhower, are probably about the oldest President we can remember, so I'm going to stop here.
Ronald Reagan's Presidency is pretty divisive and he wasn't the best the U.S. ever had but he wasn't the worst. He had a very charismatic personality. Personally I wish the gun rules he signed into law known as "the Brady Bill" were still in effect. This law was named after his press secretary, James Brady, who was seriously injured during the assassination attempt on the President.
George H.W. Bush, well, he won because of Reagan. He wasn't awful, but he did break his promise to the Republicans about "no new taxes." So, I think his handle on domestic affairs wasn't good. He was doing okay in the foreign section until he threw up on the Japanese Prime Minister. I don't think he would've lost in '92 if he hadn't had a rich enemy, H.Ross Perot. Now... I don't know if Perot ran against him because of the taxes thing, but I suspect the two, both kind of Texans, had a history before the taxes. I know H.W. really was a Yankee, more of a D*mned Yankee, but so am I, so... I know Perot was born in Texas, but really Texarkana is half in and half out of state so...
Then we get to the Clintons. I'm not sure I can say much about them. I don't think Clinton was particularly good with either affairs, he was more into the carnal type of affairs. I kind of wonder if Perot decided to support Bill Clinton by running against Bush in 1992, after all, the other side of Texarkana is Arkansas. Not that he would every directly support a Democrat, but the campaign he ran in 1992 was mostly attacking Bush.
I won't say I loved any of these guys, but I will say that all of them were better than Perot - except he tried really hard to save Treaty Oak so that's a good thing.
No, I'm not forgetting Gerald Ford. I did like him. I'm so glad that he was selected after Agnew resigned. I suspect there might've been a push to keep Nixon until a good replacement for Agnew was chosen. Because, OMG! things would've been really bad if he had become President. I know you always hear about all politicians are crooked. But Agnew was an absolute pretzel of a politician!
Now for my funny story, it took place in the 1990s. Connie, sometimes known here as Maggiepie, was watching the FOX news. On it she heard that George Bush was going to run for Governor. She said to me: "That must a come down from President to run for Governor."
I said - and I know he's not, but - "He's junior."
"What?" she asked.
"That is his son."
This is the joy of generational politics isn't it? Happened with the Adams' too. The two Roosevelts were related. Only Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson were not related.
So, what do you think? Do you agree?
Again, I will NOT respond to modern politics.
3 people like this
2 responses
@RasmaSandra (97908)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
29 Jul 24
An interesting take on Presidents, They were all very different in their own way, In school I always got Franklin Roosevelt confused with Teddy Roosevelt, And there was the boo-boo when the VP was asked Why he and his wife didn't walk ahead of the President and his wife? He simply said We always go behind the Bushes which was very funny,
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
29 Jul 24
I think there were quite a few funny things that could be said about VPs. Most of the time they are just 'the spare' and while they do things... what did they do? Do you remember?
Eleanor Roosevelt was a cousin as well to FDR. She was a niece of Teddy Roosevelt. She was also a fifth cousin once removed to FDR.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
30 Jul 24
Remember in A Boy and His Dog where they were listing the presidents... Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy...
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
30 Jul 24
Really? It has been so long since I read the story I don't remember it. Mind you, Harlan Ellison, who was a little short with everybody, wasn't a fan of politics or government. I'm sure if he had written it today it would've probably been something else... Bush, Bush, Bush or Trump, Trump, Trump... if you see what I mean. H.W. Bush. W. Bush, J. Bush, M. Bush, P. Bush... (Just naming the kids of H.W. then a grandson.
Oh, did you know Isaac Asimov wrote a mystery where the 'hero' was based on Harlan Ellison? I really don't remember the name and can't seem to find it. I can't say I hated it, which is more than I can say about what Ellison wrote. Except City on the Edge of Forever, and he hated it. Because he wanted Kirk to stay with Edith...
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
31 Jul 24
@BarBaraPrz Alexia says Ellison was 5'2, but looking it up on the computer says 5'3... I mean, that's barely taller than I am! But I heard the phrase from some SF fans who were "BNF" wannabes. That's "Big Name Fans" for those who don't know.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
30 Jul 24
@ElicBxn "Harlan Ellison, who was a little short " and not too tall, either. 

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