this office has been
a sacred trust and an honor
beyond words, measure
“When people tell me that I became President on January 20th, 1981, I feel I have to correct them. You don’t become President of the United States. You are given temporary custody of an institution called the Presidency, which belongs to our people. Having temporary custody of this office has been for me a sacred trust and an honor beyond words or measure.”
Remarks of President Ronald Reagan at the Republican National Convention, New Orleans, LA (8/15/88).
As a measure of how far things have gone, I am quoting Ronald Reagan.
Truth be told, I didn’t like him very much, but the farther away he gets, the better he looks to me.
Just for this quote alone and the important points Mr. Reagan makes about the office.
And for the recognition of that all important word, temporary.
There seem to be two ends to this story.
That guy in office wins out, history is rewritten, he goes down as the greatest President, The Art of the Deal is given a red cover, is placed in all churches and the little red book becomes required reading for all starting in 4th grade, the Washington Monument comes down and new gold tower is raised in its place and along the way, the United States apologizes to Germany for making them feel bad about WW2.
Or all this is temporary.
The Burgermeister Meisterburger’s picture falls off the wall and is thrown away.
The folks who currently hold offices like the President, The Chief Justice, and the Speaker of the Voice are all remembered as some of the worst office holders in the history of the nation.
And lets be fair here.
That bar to succeed in these offices is low.
When you get the job, you get a rule book called the Constitution of the United States and you follow the rules and you are assured of at least passing grades if not really high marks in the record book of History.
And the Country survives and goes on after a really bad bump in the road.
Doesn’t look like there are other options at this point.
There, for me, is truly no parallel in history to this guy.
And, for me, there is is truly no parallel in fiction to this guy.
Not even Tom Clancy in his wildest novels came up with a scenario like the one we are dealing with.
The closest thing I can come up to match is some of the odder villains in James Bond movies.
But I am telling you this much.
Had you gone to Hollywood with a plot with the evil nemesis of the world would in one week, blow up the minions of his perceived enemies by shooting missiles at motorboats, tear down part of the White House, demand that the Government that he directed pay him $300 Million dollars while releasing cartoons of himself wearing a crown, flying fighter jet, dropping poop on American citizens, you would have been thrown out before your butt hit the leather.
Mr. Reagan looks better and better every day.
No Haiku For You 