Attending the 2009 Presidential Inauguration

“He is certainly the worst president in my lifetime.”

This entry isn’t posted by hand, it is one I scheduled ten days in advance of the inauguration ceremony—and it is written with George Wallace Bush in mind. It should be viewable right before the transition of power.

It is my sincere and non-cynical wish that Mr. Bush is able to leave office with honor and peace. I hope when I’m on the National Mall that I don’t see people throwing things or shouting at our departing president. We all saw that guy in Iraq throw his shoes at him—so I hope we can let this go and move on with dignity.

“It can get edgy out there.”

I don’t know how Bush plans to physically leave the White House. In 1974, Nixon was escorted to a helicopter on the White House lawn to keep clear of Pennsylvania Avenue altogether. In 1981, Carter spent his last 48 hours awake negotiating the release of the hostages in Iran, only to have the hostages freedom secured moments after Reagan was sworn in (making it appear as if Reagan’s inaugural was the sole reason for their release). Reagan had planned to congratulate Carter on his accomplishment during his inaugural speech, but didn’t want to do it unless the hostages were 100% free and clear of the captors. It can get edgy out there.

Bush is already seen by many of his contemporaries as the worst president in America’s history. I don’t know presidential history well enough to sign off on that. He is certainly the worst president in my lifetime. But life has a funny way of turning around. Carter left office politically down, but is still the most effective and constructive post president we have. I hope Bush’s many failures inspire him to “re-invent himself” and mend some of the many things he’s damaged. It’s possible.

A thought for George

“How could we have expected any really progress or leadership out of these clowns?”

You know what, we’ve had a long rough stretch with these presidents of the last 30 years. I never really thought about how bad it’s been until writing up all these election reviews.

Since Jimmy Carter left office, it’s been one psychological soap opera after the other. Is it any surprise that we are still nowhere with health care, that our economy is so cavernously-cracked we can’t even guess where the bottom might be, that Florida could be an ocean in the not so distant future, and that we’ve taken to torture and unprovoked wars? How could we have expected any really progress or leadership out of these clowns?

When Carter was president, we had solar panels on the White House. Reagan immediatly took them down—and they still are nowhere to be seen. That was some real insight on Reagan’s part, hugh, that we’d rather be handcuffed to the Middle East for energy than to produce our own. It seems like electric cars have been invented several times since then, but they always mysteriously disappear. America’s spirit of invention has been silenced by lobbyists.

But we can only blame ourselves for voting these jokers in and then expecting nothing more significant out of them than their next psychological dysfunction played out on the world’s stage.

What happened to us? Did we all start getting too into WWF Wrestling and decided our leaders should be like that too? Were we in some kind of sadistic phase of denial? Was it all just a string of bad luck? Whatever it was, for the moment it’s finally done. For a few years, we’ll have leaders of decent and honorable character, and we should be able to right this ship with their efforts and our own.

“McCain, the best Republican presidential candidate since Ford, mysteriously chose to toss away all of his redeeming qualities in his race against Obama.”

Obama vs McCain
Voted: Obama
My Conscience: Obama
My Conscience in the Democratic Primary: Obama

Impressions Heading into Election Day
Obama: Perfect candidate in every respect, and best from any party since Jimmy Carter. Better than Carter though, because Jimmy was a little preachy as a candidate.
McCain: An honorable man who thought it would be appealing to run as a grumpy ass.

Obama: 53% with 365 electoral
McCain: 46% with 173 electoral

Looking Back: McCain, the best Republican presidential candidate since Ford, mysteriously chose to toss away all of his redeeming qualities in his race against Obama. His choice of Sarah Palin made it unexpectedly clear that he was willing to place partisan politics ahead of the well-being of our country. In contrast to McCain’s many erratic shifts, Obama kept a cool and steady course that the populace correctly identified as a necessary quality in attempting to unwind the severe political and financial damage of the Bush years. Also, Nader improves his vote by a small margin, but doesn’t come close to his 3% peak in 2000.

Election Map: Obama essentially restores the Clinton’s victory map, though he swaps some Southern states for states in the Mountain West. The lesson for Democrats is to win the heavily populated states of Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—while simply running a candidate that is easy to like. Can it be that hard to get one of these every time? One you can vote your conscience for?

“Don’t hide that Hussein”

You don’t have to use your middle name when taking the oath of office, but I hope Obama does. Recently, Jimmy was sworn in as Jimmy Carter, Ronnie was sworn in as Ronald Reagan, and Jerry was sworn in as Gerald R. Ford. But Barack, don’t hide that Hussein, ’cause that was your papa’s middle name.

“Jerry Brown was amazing.”

Clinton vs G.H.W. Bush vs Perot
Voted: Clinton
My Conscience: None of the above. Put bumper stickers for all 3 on my car.
My Conscience in the Democratic Primary: Jerry Brown!!! Yes!!!

Impressions Heading into Election Day
Clinton: Car salesman
G.H.W. Bush: Grumpy-ass man getting more grumpy and bitter
Perot: Also reminded me of a car salesman, but the kind that is self-featured in his cheaply-produced car lot commercials

Clinton: 43% with 370 electoral
Bush: 37% with 169 electoral
Perot: 19% with 0 electoral

Looking Back: Jerry Brown was amazing. I remember during the campaign he didn’t have much money, so he was couch-surfing across the country. I sent him my address in case he needed to crash. During the debates and on the radio he’d just start reading off his 800 number (think he was the first to do this). My parents sent him $100, the maximum donation he’d accept. I loved how he’d pointedly cut into car salesman Clinton and taunt him during their debates, buoyed by grassroots support, union-power, and his contrasting non-slick grit. Things started to look hopeful when he won a string of states after Super Tuesday, but eventually cheesiness powered through and Slick Willie took the Democratic nomination (without Brown’s endorsement at the convention). I didn’t know it then, but Jerry had run a few times in the past. His gallant but often forgotten ’92 battle against Bubba was his most successful effort, but unfortunately it was his last presidential run.

Election Map: Clinton creates what is now the the modern Democratic victory map. California goes Democratic for the first time since 1964, and the rest of the West Coast stays blue. The Northeast, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Florida are all blue, in addition to a few southern states. Very different than Carter’s 1976 southern and eastern solid wall of blue.

“I couldn’t believe America had voted in a landslide for such a freak show.”

Reagan vs Carter vs Anderson
If Old Enough to Vote: Wouldn’t have voted
My Conscience: Nobody
My Conscience in the Democratic Primary: Carter. Ted Kennedy seemed cheesy to me at the time.

Impressions Heading into Election Day
Carter: I didn’t like that he boycotted the Olympics. All that training for those athletes down the tube, and for what?
Reagan: Yikes! How I imagine people to act when recovering from amnesia (theirs or mine). Also seemed to be overcompensating from some past failure or unresolved problem with a parent. For those who remember the Nixon era more than myself, y’all had been down this road, but I hadn’t.
Anderson: Somebody is going to have to explain this guy to me, if anybody remembers him. How he came from nowhere to 7% of the vote then right back to nowhere is pretty amazing. It’s hard to even find a picture of him now, but either he reminded me of Phil Donahue, or later Phil Donahue reminded me of him.

Reagan: 51% with 489 electoral
Carter: 41% with 49 electoral
Anderson: 7% with 0 electoral

Looking Back: Politics changed for me on election night as a sea of red overtook the state’s election returns. I felt guilty that I didn’t stand behind Jimmy just because of the Olympic boycott. I then decided I was a Democrat, or at least would be for a while, because I couldn’t believe America had voted in a landslide for such a freak show.

Election Map: Reagan’s election map was just about everything except Georgia, West Virginia, and a few other states.

“Carter’s election map was the east, almost the entire south, and NOTHING in the west.”

Carter vs Ford vs McCarthy
If Old Enough to Vote: Carter, though I would have decided in the booth
My Conscience: Carter, by inches
My Conscience in the Democratic Primary: Too young to remember those guys

Impressions Heading into Election Day
Carter: Liked him. Seemed mellow, like a nice school teacher.
Ford: Also liked him, and he also seemed mellow and approachable. Like a nice school principal.
McCarthy: ?

Carter: 50% and 297 electoral
Ford: 48% and 240 electoral
McCarthy: 1% and 0 electoral

Looking Back: Even by 1976, I was still mad that people had made so much fun of Nixon that it caused him to quit. At my age, I understood what a king was better than a president, and it didn’t seem right to be making fun of a king.

I often forget how close this election was. I guess Carter was way ahead in the polls early on. Ford caught up, but then said something really dumb during a debate. Ford also could have won it if he hadn’t pardoned the king. It would take until 2008 to have another election with two consensus-minded, honorable candidates.

Election Map: Carter’s election map was the east, almost the entire south, and NOTHING in the west.