Posted on 06/12/2012 8:43:44 AM PDT by US Navy Vet
On the occasion of his 88th birthday, former President George H. W.. Bush is old enough to contemplate his own mortality — but young at heart enough to discuss Justin Bieber and plan a skydiving trip when he turns 90.
Stories from Matthew McConaughey Steps Out Wearing Bush sat down with his granddaughter, TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager, to discuss everything from getting old to “The Bieber” to having an aircraft carrier named after him. The interview came less than two weeks after the 41st president’s return to the White House, where he watched as the presidential portrait of his son (and Jenna’s father), former President George W. Bush, was unveiled.
“It was exciting,’’ Bush said of that May 31 ceremony. “Any time you go there, there's a certain sense of awe and wonder about the experience, and a lot of memories come flooding back. It was hard to describe it and the total majesty.”
George W. Bush’s portrait will be placed next to his father’s own presidential portrait. “Isn't that sweet?’’ Bush told his granddaughter. “It’s very nice, and we’re pleased. Two presidents in one family, that's pretty good. We're both lucky to have served. He had two terms as president and did a great job. I'm proud to be next to your dad there, very proud.’’
While the younger Bush was a two-term president, the elder Bush was defeated in his 1992 reelection bid by Bill Clinton.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.msnbc.msn.com ...
Not really sir... but most Americans fell for the smooth talkin’ Slick One in ‘92 just like The One in ‘08. Some things never change.
I remember that race and Bush appeared as if he wasn’t trying hard, didn’t care and showed minimal effort. Yes, the 3rd party guy cost him big time but still he came across as unenthused and not minding if he lost. He gave us willie clinton, and clinton gave china the missile secrets.
He would have had a second term if he hadn’t tried so hard to distance himself from Reagan with the “compassionate” conservative crap.
His heart wasn’t the problem: his spine was. If he had stuck by “read my lips.” he’d have gotten that second term.
Bush Sr. gave us Perot which gave us Clinton. If Bush was engaged then Perot would never have entered the race.
If Bush I wanted a second term he should have kept his “No New Taxes” pledge.
“41” a Rino at heart, listened to Colin Powell, “let’s quit now” instead of taking out Saddam Hussein then and we all remember “read my lips no new taxes”. We’ve had enough of the Bushs. Now Jeb is bad mouthing conservatives. HW brought us Clinton and GW brought us Obama.
No that was Sonny “W” who was a “compassionate conservative” Daddy was “Kinder and Gentler” and “1k Points of Light”.
Gun grabber Perot emerged because of the national debt and NAFTA. Both legitimate issues.
That was the point Jeb Bush was trying to make, wasn’t it?
That today’s Republican ‘base’ out right reject ‘compromise’ with the other side.
No More Bushes. EVER. Put it in the Constitution. (Clintons too)
Go back to sleep you. The only point Jeb has, is the one on top of his head.
GHWB lost his re-election bid in ‘92 because he refused to go for the jugular when it came to fighting off the Grifter from Arkansas.
BS. If he had I might not have voted for Ross Perot. Loved them chats.
I thought Perot got into the race just to spite Bush. It was some sort of Texas rivalry.
That and that and the fact that so many women felt Clinton was devilishly appealing in a southern boy kind of way.
I'm sure that Bush the Elder really thinks this. But his fundamental problem is that he was never a very good politician. He was always better at government jobs to which he had been appointed. He won the presidency in 1988 because his opponent was a leftist loon and the glow of the Reagan administration was still with him.
In my opinion, Bush lost the presidency in 1992 during a key moment in the Richmond debate. That stupid pony-tailed guy in the audience got up and whined "You're our daddy! What about taking care of OUR needs?" Talk about a high, lobbed softball! Bush could have assured his re-election had he taken that clown's question and told him, "I'm NOT your Daddy. Grow up and take responsibility for your own life!"
I believe that after such an exchange, he would have cruised to a victory.
“Read my lips. No second term.”
The problem with “compromise” is that we (conservatives) give stuff up and get nothing in return. The Commie pinko fellow travelers get half of what they want - and come back later for more. That’s how we got where we are now.
So, no. No compromise. Ever. Gridlock Congress, veto the bills. Make the other side give stuff up to us. Make them “compromise.” But don’t give them a thing. Not one more inch.
“I thought Perot got into the race just to spite Bush. It was some sort of Texas rivalry.”
Never heard that. In 1992 the country was already faltering. We were looking to get rid of the RINOs and Perot saw the opportunity.
“That today’s Republican ‘base’ out right reject ‘compromise’ with the other side.”
So the R electorate in 1992 was similarly harsh and uncompromising, wasn’t it? Bush would have won in 1992 had he kept his word. The democrat congress then was FAR less radical than today’s.
Mr. President Bush is a very good man, but one whose time had passed. By 1992, the world was changing rapidly, in part due to the fall of communism, which he had a supporting part in. President Bush was heir to an enormously successful presidency, but had a tendency to want to apologize for it rather than defend it.
He is a remarkable patriot, but did not have the stomach for the political fight. I am still amazed that he went from 90% approval rating after Desert Storm to defeat almost overnight. Breaking the tax pledge, appointing Justice Souter were the lows. His acknowledgement of growing political correctness in a speech at Univ. of Michigan was an opportunity he didn’t engage. Appointment of Justice Thomas was a tremendous credit to Pres. Bush. In summary, great opportunities, mixed bag of results. He was not the man to lead the 90’s.
If he hadn’t been such a RINO he would have beaten Klinton - I was one of MANY Repubs that would not vote for him.
The 19% vote for Perot in ‘92 scared the bejeebers out of the Republicans. That is how we got the Contract for America, Newt Gingrich, and, for the first time in 40 years, a Republican Congress in 1994.
We had two bad years of Clinton, and two good years where reforms were put in place that led to a prosperous decade.
However, the re-election of Clinton in 1996 was completely the RINOs fault.
Yep! I voted for Bush despite that, but he fell for the bait and couldn't out Sugar Daddy Clinton. It killed any enthusiasm I had for Bush, which had already been wounded with his (don't) read my lips blunder. Wimp written all over him.
Mr. President Bush is a very good man, but one whose time had passed. By 1992, the world was changing rapidly, in part due to the fall of communism, which he had a supporting part in. President Bush was heir to an enormously successful presidency, but had a tendency to want to apologize for it rather than defend it.
He is a remarkable patriot, but did not have the stomach for the political fight. I am still amazed that he went from 90% approval rating after Desert Storm to defeat almost overnight. Breaking the tax pledge, appointing Justice Souter were the lows. His acknowledgement of growing political correctness in a speech at Univ. of Michigan was an opportunity he didn’t engage. Appointment of Justice Thomas was a tremendous credit to Pres. Bush. In summary, great opportunities, mixed bag of results. He was not the man to lead the 90’s.
As well we should.
Many years ago, Reagan made a deal -- he'd raise taxes if the Democrats cut spending. Democrats didn't keep up their end.
GHW Bush promised "no new taxes" but then was persuaded to raise taxes. That helped Democrats, not him.
Do you see Democrats compromising on abortion? Capital Punishment? Homosexual marriage? ANWR? Keystone pipeline?
Compromising only works one way -- they win, we lose.
I completely and utterly oppose compromising. Let the government come to a screeching halt: if the Democrats will not compromise their failed policies, then it's on their head.
George H. W. worked hard, but Perot and Bill teamed up and worked harder.
This is the biggest reason for the loss of Manufacturing jobs behind regulations and taxes. Certainly much more than NAFTA.
They claim “no new taxes” is what cost Bush the election. Obama promised the same thing and has raised and created new taxes and no presstitute brings up that meme.
When Bush was up for re-election in 2004 and they had the bogus exit polls they were using to suppress voter turnout, ALL of the networks used the same talking points for the first 10 minutes, “Well, it’s just like his father’s one term presidency...’It’s the economy, stupid’”.
11 minutes after the polls closed, the first REAL numbers rolling in showed it wasn’t going to be a blow out against Boosh.
“....to discuss everything from getting old to “The Bieber” to having an aircraft carrier named after him.”
.
Justin Bieber will have an aircraft carrier named after him?
Why not? Someday a USN ship will be named after Bambi, anyway.
Why so cynical? It’s the birthday of an important national figure... one I like and respect.
There are actually some here who continue to assert that Bush would have lost the election without Perot.
That is so simple minded. All the Perot voters were super fiscal conservatives. they would never have voted for Clinton.
If Perot had not been in the race, they would have voted for Bush. Maybe without great enthusiasm but they would have done it.
Perot had (and has) a deep personal animus for Bush. The why has been speculated on, but no one denies it existed.
“Not really sir... but most Americans fell for the smooth talkin’ Slick One in ‘92 just like The One in ‘08. Some things never change.”
Without Ross Perot, 1992 wouldn’t have been close.
Your post and your tagline both show extreme ignorance.
Compassionate conservative was the by-line of George W. Bush, not George H.W.
Not if he is found to be ineligible. Pray for Sheriff Arpaio and his upcoming press conference.
I agree with you.
He gave up and laid down.
Bush 1 was nothing but a big government socialist like his son. Together they destroyed alot of what Reagan set up.
...zzzzzzzz....
G.H.W. Bush earned his defeat almost as much as Carter did!
GHW Bush was the biggest political mistake by Reagan.
GHW Bush: Thanks you for your WWII service. Now go take another nap.
Yup. If he’d stuck to his “no new taxes” promise he would have had a second term.
“prosperous decade.”
But it wasn’t. It was just one bubble after another bubble. in 2000-2001 Tech Bubble Burst. The Housing Bubble then burst. Clinton refinanced our debt using short term low interest schemes to keep interest payments on the national debt down, only to hurt the markets. The IPO bubble burst as they were bogus and raped many of their money.
Sorry, but using bubbles as a measure of prosperity is insane. That’s like taking out a $50,000 credit card, spending like mad then claiming you made all kinds of money somehow.
GHWB is a true patriot and a good man. But he is also the epitome of a country clubber and RINO. They have the courage of their lack of convictions. Why would anyone have expected him to keep his “no new taxes plege” when only 9 years before he had labelled Reagan’s bold pro-growth polices as “voodoo” economics.
The RINO lives and breathes under the accepted notion that the battle between democrats and Republicans is a polo match where everyone gets together at the clubhouse later on for scotch and yucks it up because they get to play polo while the rubes watching are fooled into thinking it is an actual competition. The RINO wants more than anything to be loved. That is why they are not comfortable being in power. All that derision and hateorade from the MSM makes them uncomfortable. Thus, they do things like try to sound “progressive light” all the time using words like “compromise” or “moderation.”
Exactly, but the media continues to spread the lies of "the great Clinton economy" like(what it was)...manure.
I think checking his watch during the debate was the final nail in the coffin.
As you no doubt realized immediately after clicking the Post button, most Americans voted for someone other than Slick Willie in '92 (and '96, too). ;)
Only if we exclude Sandra Day O'Connor from his political mistakes.
No he didn’t. I still remember seeing Barbara give a speech where she basically said they didn’t really care if they won...but they were at least going through the motions.
Bingo, and this is the same stupid philosophical malfeasance that currently infests the RINO GOP.
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