Presidents and kindergartners have in common that one of the
simplest ways to evaluate them is also one of the best: Do they clean up when
they’re finished?
What will Trump leave behind? Hopefully the country and planet in one piece.
Lyndon B. Johnson (who left behind the Vietnam War), Richard
Nixon (Watergate and its aftermath), Jimmy Carter (double-digit inflation), and
George W. Bush (economic collapse). Nixon is judged a failure, and LBJ and
Carter are seen as tragically flawed, which I believe will also be history’s
judgment of Bush 43 (Iraq, albeit a strategic disaster, wasn’t a crisis when he
left office). By contrast, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy (although he
exited prematurely), Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton left a
relatively clean desk, and they maintain strong reputations despite their
shortcomings.
Does Trump appreciate how good he's got it?
Fortunately for the country, Obama has governed as a sober
realist, pretty much the opposite of the way he campaigned. As Coolidge would
have affirmed (perhaps using different terminology), “Don’t do stupid shit”
doesn’t guarantee presidential greatness, but it’s the right place to start,
and a lot harder than it looks.
No, he's probably not getting the thank you note.
No comments:
Post a Comment