Tonight, George W. Bush said goodbye in his last address to the nation. I am one of the silent masses who will miss this president. I know that the media paints him as an imbecile, and act as if he is not smart enough to tie his own shoes, but they did that to the greatest president of this generation (and perhaps any generation) when they did it to Ronald Reagan. I know that President Bush has made mistakes–he is man enough to admit as much himself. But, the one thing that should not be contested is that he made this nation safer. Again, listening to the media will certainly not bring you to that conclusion, but how many attacks have been successful on our soil in the last 7 years?
One thing I will miss with the changing of the guard next week is the amount of class that is currently in the White House. Love him or hate him, you have to be dishonest to say that this president is lacking in class. And you cannot possibly accuse the current first lady of lacking in class. Just watching tonight’s speech reminded me of just how much class Mr. Bush has. He could have taken the opportunity to take shots at everyone who had mis-treated him in the last 8 years…but he didn’t. In fact, the only thing that was anything close to a “shot” was pointing out that Iraq has been a success (even though he admitted mistakes in the process), and he pointed out that there have been no further terrorist attacks on American soil.
Mr. Bush was plain about one thing tonight: he did things that he thought were right for the country. He did what he thought was right in every case. He didn’t test the wind to see what was popular. He didn’t run a poll before every decision. He was the leader of the free world, and he acted like it. He surrounded himself with smart people, and trusted their council. Again, don’t misunderstand: I know he made mistakes. All presidents do. But, it has been nice to have a president who makes decisions based on what he thinks is right, not based on what will make the most people happy. It is quite humorous to me that just weeks ago an Iraqi journalist threw shoes at our president. Think about that. It was because of President Bush that the journalist had the ability to take such an action. He gave the Iraqi people the freedom to do what they want to do, even if that means acting as ignorant as the media in the US!
Watch the transition of power between the Bush White House and the Obama White House. I predict that the transition will be smooth and graceful. I’m sure that you all remember the transition of power last time around. Yeah, somewhat less than graceful for the departing crew.
There is about to be a change in this country. Perhaps our new president will somehow learn to act with class and dignity miraculously before next Tuesday. I doubt it. But, he will have at least four years to develop it. Instead of ranting against Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama should take a page from his book. I know it is far too much to hope that he will lean toward conservatism, but he certainly could learn much about the poise and dignity of the presidency from our current president.
So, I say goodbye to President George W. Bush. Thanks for your service, and thank you for bringing dignity back to the White House, even if it has only been for a short period of time…
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[...] time to try to implement this type of legislation on the national level. From this standpoint, I will definitely miss President Bush. I know that many will disagree with missing him, but it is my belief that history will reflect [...]
One of the first things President Obama did in the White House was to remove the coat-and-tie rule while in the Oval Office. President Bush insisted on it. That type of rule lends respectability and dignity to that high office. By instituting that rule, it makes those who enter the office remember that they have very important jobs to do and a responsibility to the American people.
You’re right. That dignity will not be present in the new administration.