If I’ve ever written a nice thing about George W. Bush, well—no. I haven’t. Never.
Today, that changes. Unlike his veep, the former president has shown great restraint—and class—in not ripping the current administration. It’s behavior very becoming of a former president, and behavior neither Jimmy Carter nor Bill Clinton never extended their predecessors. I can’t imagine what it was like to be Bush during the election, as well as now: Slammed, slammed, slammed, slammed, slammed. He was a punching bag. Still is a punching bag. Yet he’s displayed remarkable class and decency, and it should be noted.
To be honest, I never thought George W. Bush to be a horrible man. A horrible president? Yes. But his greatest sin, I’d argue, was what many thought to be his greatest strength—his judgment of others. Bush selected lousy cabinet members, then listened to them, even as their thoughts and ideas were shown to be greatly flawed. In hindsight, I wish he would have selected, oh, a Kay Bailey Hutchison or John McCain as VP. Maybe things would have turned out different.
Not perfect or ideal. But, at least, different.
Oy.
