The Bush presidential legacies
By Arthur I. Cyr
"It's deja vu all over again," said legendary baseball great Yogi Berra, unintentionally and redundantly citing in both French and English the eerie human experience of sensing vaguely, and falsely, that one is repeating a previous experience.
Berra, among the most skillful catchers in the history of baseball, famously mangled the language in ways which are entertaining, and also sometimes instructive. This example underscores the sense of reliving an experience by employing bilingual repetition.
A lot of people must be having that same old feeling following the media blitz by former President George W. Bush, out plugging his just published memoirs, "Decision Points,'' along with the ground breaking of his new presidential library at Texas A&M University. His return to prominence recalls not only his own two terms in the White House, but also his father's single term two decades ago.
Bush, like Berra, is famous for incomplete sentences and eccentric use of English. In signing a bill to underwrite gathering national intelligence, President Bush referred to the importance of getting information on "weapons of mass production," conjuring up the Military Industrial Complex, when of course he meant weapons of mass destruction.
Just before the 2000 presidential election, he responded to a question about his defeat of Senator John McCain for the party nomination by noting that opponents "misunderestimated me," providing critics with a shorthand rhetorical reference they would use to carp at him throughout his two terms in office.
Bush's father also became well known for verbal missteps. At the 1988 Democratic convention, Texas political leader Ann Richards sneered that George H.W. Bush had been "born with a silver foot in his mouth."
Actually, the father is very aware of his rhetorical limitations, ironically referring to shortcomings regarding "the vision thing." In his case, verbal slips seem more the eccentric errors of an upper class New England Yankee trying to come across as a rough Texas type.
The Texas state treasurer and future governor implied as much in her caustic convention comment.
In fact, Bush senior proved in his varied career to be a very disciplined and tough man, with considerable executive ability. He was tested in Pacific air combat during World War II. In office, he was respected for serious attention to policy detail, with decisions taken after thorough review.
His memoir, "A World Transformed,'' coauthored with National Security Adviser Gen. Brent Scowcroft, demonstrates great insight as the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War concluded. The emphasis on working with allies, and the clear and limited goal of liberating Kuwait from Iraq, contrasts with his son's approach.
While current focus is on the younger Bush's just published presidential memoirs, his presidential library may provide a greater opportunity to promote a positive perspective among the public at large.
Perhaps the most engaging presidential library is FDR's, located at his home in Hyde Park, New York. The family emphasis is immediately apparent, and particularly appropriate given the enormous policy influence and public popularity of first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The resulting warmth contrasts with other presidential centers.
The new Bush library provides an opportunity for George W. Bush to acknowledge his wider family's roles in American politics. Like Yogi, he is respected for personal warmth and consideration. Yet during his first term, Bush usually mentioned God when asked about the role of his father. Through the library, he could acknowledge a more earthly debt as well.
Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College. E-mail him at acyr@carthage.edu. The article was published and distributed by Scripps Howard News Service (www.scrippsnews.com).