President's Day, no one sends cards, no candy, no trees decorated, President's Ave, tonight, will come and go. I guess it is just a holiday well, I don;t know why. I think it had something to do with Washington, and then "three day weekends" for workers.
My first President was Herbert Hoover, only for a year, my first year, so I don't remember him. Roosevelt, to a little boy, a God, unreachable and untouchable, listened to him on the radio, saw him in newsreels at the movies. I heard him on December 7, 1941, memorable, he and Churchill, and others, an iconic figure in my life. Truman, more down to earth, he won the war for us. He brought our hero, Douglas MacArthur, down, and when out of office, he and Bess got in their Buick and went back home.
Eisenhower, great respect, he won the war, a hero, The General probably the greatest hero of the war, great respect for him, as a soldier, a General and the President.
Then a string of "politicians" ... some looked at with respect, some controversial. Kennedy became a celebrity, his wife got as much publicity as he did, as well as other members of his family, the family became associated with the Presidency. Kennedy's assassination cemented his place in history, he will be remembered more, in history, because of "that" day, than those who came after him.
Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter, held the office, for one reason or another. Nixon, not remembered so favorably because of his problems. Reagan, I, and others, well, we had seen him in so many movies, he was an image, an icon, I know I respected him, he was "the" image that I liked seeing in the White House, I was proud that he was my President, proud to be an American, he was my and our Leader.
The Bush family, somewhat "down to earth," accessible, good images for our country, I think they were respected around the world, Each had wives that were somewhat "Mother figures," I think there was Bush Pride around the country.
Nixon brought shame to the office, Clinton caused a lack of respect for the office. He turned Washington in to Smutville, in some respects he was the first 100 percent pure, "Politician" to hold the office. Lyndon Johnson perhaps was the first, but Clinton took the abuse of the office to new heights, he lowered the bar to the point that anyone, regardless, was qualified to hold the office. The bar was low. George Bush raised the bar, but the height variation was in place, anyone, regardless, all qualifications are eliminated, the only qualification to hold the office is ..... charisma.
Enter Barack Hussein Obama, I think, perhaps, the last president. The bar dropped to the ground, anyone, regardless of "anything" .... qualifications are now etched on a bland sheet of paper.
I have done a great deal of "typesetting" in my life, being a printer, have spent many hours with typesetting equipment, some very antiquated and no longer in use, to today's computers. I don't know when, but the word went from President to president. I think it started with Clinton. Perhaps it is my age, but my respect for the Office, has diminished greatly.
To those deserving it, "Best Wishes on President's Day."
