GWB has a flair for understatement.
Posted on 06/01/2013 10:46:05 AM PDT by rickmichaels
In a rare break from form, former President George W. Bush expressed an understanding that Obama is "having a difficult go," and offered a few seldom-heard comments on the presidency.
"I'm not surprised," Bush said in an interview to the Huffington Post during his annual Warrior 100K three-day mountain bike race, held each year around Memorial Day on his 1,500-acre ranch. There were 75 veterans at the event, 13 of whom had been wounded in the very wars Bush had started.
"I think that if you study the modern presidency, two-term presidents have a different set of issues on their second term than their first term," he said. "One thing's for certain. After seven or eight years, people are beginning to say, 'Surely we can do better than this.' Secondly, the unexpected happens, and if you look at Ronald Reagan or Clinton or myself — myself in particular — there's a kind of fatigue."
It was an unusually candid statement for the former president, who slipped almost entirely into silence after leaving office five years ago — which, by his own admission, frequently annoys those at the Bush Institute who would like him to speak out more. Apart from the occasional public appearance and recent library opening, Bush has kept himself largely out of the limelight — which, he says, was good for him.
"I don't long for [fame]. Nor do I long for power. I've come to realize that power can be corrosive if you've had it for too long. It can dim your vision … I don't long for fame. And really, gonna shy away from it."
"Fame can become very addictive," he added. "And I've had all the fame a man could want."
When asked about the controversy surrounding Obama's drone program, Bush seemed to approach it from a different angle. "He's charting a course that he is comfortable with," he said. "I tend to look at it not from the political side of things, although obviously almost everything is political. I tend to look at it from a historical perspective. I'm obviously a student of the presidency. I've read a lot about it and plus I was one. And it's just amazing how history repeats itself."
It remains to be seen how history will view the two men, though it's looking all the more likely that they may go down together. Iraq and Afghanistan were handed down from one administration to the other, as were the hyper-controversial Guantanamo Bay prison and drone programs. Both men have attempted to navigate a new kind of warfare in a 21st century world, and both did it under the shadow of the 9/11 attacks.
"I'm not surprised the president is having a difficult go," Bush admitted. "It's part of the presidency. It's one of the challenges of the presidency, is how do you deal with this?"
I guess I’m the first to say it: It’s Bush’s Fault!
Is Dubya really that clueless?
Where does that leave me with Dubya? Loving his unflinching response in the defense of our country to 9/11, wincing at his deflection of that purpose into finishing what his dad didn't in Iraq, and upset at his Socialist, unconstitutional, pro-big-government actions at home.
You kinda made my point. Saying he’s “having a difficult go” is not what a patriot should be saying right now, IMO.
He sure seems to be.
Then count me as clueless, stupid and don’t have a hope of ever getting it (in your bizarro world).
He seemed to be quite honest and introspective to me.
The Confederate Constitution gave the President a six-year term. Since the South lost, I guess the Civil War settled that issue.
I may have been a bit harsh in my comment. I think my anger at his monstrous government build up is showing and seems to outweigh for me the praiseworthiness of the unflinching defense actions he took after 9-11. But I think Dubya suffered from the same lack of “the vision thing” as his dad. I think that’s why he doesn’t have a lot to say now.
STFU W!
Quite an understatement there, Jorge.
****YAWN****
You are exactly right.
Sadly there are folks on FR who hate bush every bit as much as dailykos or huff post.
Pure bds.
Bush is classy and continues the proper stance of a president not in office.
Clinton is classless yet you see not nearly the venom directed at him.
“After seven or eight years, people are beginning to say, ‘Surely we can do better than this.’”
Yeh after endless wars and passing legislation to take away basic freedoms in the name of security. Protecting some sleazebag AG (Gonzales) and a good buddy US attorney (Johnny Sutton) prosecuting two border guards for shooting a drug dealer in the azz. Oh and trying push amnesty for 20 million illegals on us. I know I was thinking “we can do better than this”.
Of course that was before we elected an ineligible likely illegal alien, muzzie loving commie who has kept us in endless wars, passed legislation taking away our basic freedoms, protecting a sleazebag AG (Holder) and pushing for the amnesty of 20 million illegals.
Its deja vu all over again.
This a-hole is a major part of why we have O`Bozo now. F-all neo-cons!
Well said. So many here would complain that their ice cream was too cold.
“I was more interested in what about this column would provoke the reaction that Bush is “clueless.” Thus the word, “exactly.”
If it was a knee-jerk reaction to the headline, no problem. “
Knee-jerk conservatism is as prevalent as knee-jerk liberalism...sadly.
GWB has a flair for understatement.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.