I miss having pride in my country. Travel abroad, as I did this past fall, and it's embarrassing to think what others around the world think of us as a country. The Ugly American is leading the charge. And the change. Why? For all the damage done, it will take years to rebuild. Maybe that's why this happened. To strengthen a belief in our system. We needed a cancer to start mutating to make us wake up? Probably not, but it's happened, so whomever is saddled with the chore of cleanup on Aisle 1600 in 2028, we're here with a mop and dust pan.
Irrespective of any criticism of your research or whatever, I take your point. There was a time when the WH was populated by people—of both parties—who were gracious and understood their place in the pantheon of chief executives through the years and what their grace and public humility meant to the country. I, too, hope our next President will have those qualities.
I agree that the small rituals of politics matter and often even lead to some good policy outcomes. I'm not sure that the next person should invite Trump back. He's deviated from so many norms that I am not sure giving him a platform to spew hate, which he would do, is the right thing. The ritual as you described it didn't just involve Obama's kindness to invite back his predecessor, it required graciousness from that predecessor. Reciprocal graciousness. You wouldn't have that with Trump.
When I listen to old rock & roll songs being mad about “the system” I think that nothing has really changed. Seeing this video and looking at the photos of several presidents together, I feel like a lot has indeed changed. Thank you for this post.
Thank you for the statement in the P.S. I look forward to the follow up article and appreciate you looking into the subject further. The Trevor Project has some great stats that I recommend checking out if you haven't already. Thanks again!
I must admit, watching the video of Obama and Bush honoring each other’s contributions brings back memories of more normal times. While their politics differed greatly, their service was always rooted in what they believed was best for our country. Let’s hope this spirit returns once Trump is gone.
Nope. Sorry, but no. There is a through line -- a steady, decades-old decline -- that leads to Trump. Missing the comforting optics completely misses the point.
I miss having pride in my country. Travel abroad, as I did this past fall, and it's embarrassing to think what others around the world think of us as a country. The Ugly American is leading the charge. And the change. Why? For all the damage done, it will take years to rebuild. Maybe that's why this happened. To strengthen a belief in our system. We needed a cancer to start mutating to make us wake up? Probably not, but it's happened, so whomever is saddled with the chore of cleanup on Aisle 1600 in 2028, we're here with a mop and dust pan.
Irrespective of any criticism of your research or whatever, I take your point. There was a time when the WH was populated by people—of both parties—who were gracious and understood their place in the pantheon of chief executives through the years and what their grace and public humility meant to the country. I, too, hope our next President will have those qualities.
I agree that the small rituals of politics matter and often even lead to some good policy outcomes. I'm not sure that the next person should invite Trump back. He's deviated from so many norms that I am not sure giving him a platform to spew hate, which he would do, is the right thing. The ritual as you described it didn't just involve Obama's kindness to invite back his predecessor, it required graciousness from that predecessor. Reciprocal graciousness. You wouldn't have that with Trump.
When I listen to old rock & roll songs being mad about “the system” I think that nothing has really changed. Seeing this video and looking at the photos of several presidents together, I feel like a lot has indeed changed. Thank you for this post.
Happy New Year. Even your "not the best" isn't too bad.
Thank you for the statement in the P.S. I look forward to the follow up article and appreciate you looking into the subject further. The Trevor Project has some great stats that I recommend checking out if you haven't already. Thanks again!
I must admit, watching the video of Obama and Bush honoring each other’s contributions brings back memories of more normal times. While their politics differed greatly, their service was always rooted in what they believed was best for our country. Let’s hope this spirit returns once Trump is gone.
Can we please get back to this kind of civility?
Nope. Sorry, but no. There is a through line -- a steady, decades-old decline -- that leads to Trump. Missing the comforting optics completely misses the point.