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The Obama Watch
The President’s Snub
Unlike his predecessors, our current president is not one to be clubby with former presidents.
(Page 2 of 2)
Ronald Reagan helped rehabilitate the image of Nixon, who regularly advised Reagan on political and foreign policy matters.
When George H.W. Bush became president, he sent National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft to visit all four living former presidents (Reagan, Carter, Ford and Nixon). He asked them what they might want in the way of regular briefings and other logistical favors. Bush also offered to install secure telephone lines so that he could reach them at a moment’s notice. He also sent them semi regular dispatches to keep them informed of what was going on in the White House — what the authors refer to as “a kind of club newsletter.”
George H.W. Bush deployed Ford and Carter to help oversee an election in Panama, and sent Carter again to usher in a peaceful transfer of power in Nicaragua. Former rivals George H.W. Bush and Clinton have taken many trips together and are so close that Bush has suggested on a few occasions that he might be the father Bill never really had.
Clinton made good use of the five presidents at his disposal at the start of his presidency, especially Nixon, who practically served as a part-time advisor. A Clinton aide called his relationship with Nixon, “something of a mutual admiration society.” Clinton compared Nixon’s death to the passing of his own mother.
A newly-inaugurated Clinton paid Reagan a special visit in Los Angeles, where the former president gave Clinton a much-needed tutorial on how to salute. Clinton deployed Carter to North Korea and to Haiti to handle very sensitive issues.
George W. Bush has been particularly gracious toward his successor. “We want you to succeed,” he told Obama after the 2008 election. “All of us who have served in this office understand that the office transcends the individual.” Obama, Bush says, “deserves my silence.” He has said, “I love my country a lot more than I love politics. I think it is essential that Obama be helped in the office.”
Perhaps the worst criticism Bush has leveled at Obama is “Well, I might have done it differently.”
Bush’s graciousness toward Obama stands out in part because it has not been reciprocated. Obama’s 2008 campaign is remembered as much for Obama’s berating of Bush as it is for his promises of unity and post-partisanship. As the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza put it, “There was an almost obsessive singularity in the way that Obama and [his strategists] saw the contest. In their tactical view, all that was wrong with the United States could be summarized in one word: Bush.”
As president, Obama has continued his compulsive Bush-blaming. Obama’s inaugural address was one long indirect but unmistakable swipe at Bush. With Bush only a few feet away, Obama declared, “Starting today we must pick ourselves off, dust ourselves off, and being again the work of remaking America.”
Obama has continued to make Bush his scapegoat. As columnist Charles Krauthammer has said about Obama, “Is there anything he hasn’t blamed George W. Bush for? The economy, global warming, the credit crisis, Middle East stalemate, the deficit, anti-Americanism abroad — everything but swine flu. It’s as if Obama’s presidency hasn’t really started.”
That was 2009. Three years later, Obama is still blaming Bush. In December 2011, Obama was asked what he would say to black Americans living in poverty who are disillusioned by the administration. “[T]hey understand what an incredible mess had been made as I was coming into office, and we’ve been spending the last three years cleaning it up.”
In February 2012, he said, “We’ve made sure to do everything we can to dig ourselves out of this incredible hole that I inherited.” In March, Obama complained, “When I came into office there had been drift in the Afghanistan policy.… Over the last three years we have refocused attention on getting Afghanistan right. Would my preference had been that we started some of that earlier? Absolutely. But that’s not the cards that were dealt.” The same month he said, “When I took office, the efforts to apply pressure on Iran were in tatters.”
Obama has not treated Bill Clinton much better. When he sent Clinton to North Korea to negotiate the release of two American women, the White House didn’t want Clinton to get credit. It notified the two women that when the plane landed in California, they would descend the airplane steps alone while Clinton stayed hidden in the cabin. One of the women complained, and the white house eventually relented. “But it was a reminder that the White House was not really comfortable having Clinton back in the picture,” Gibbs and Duffy write.
In September 2010, Obama introduced his wife at an event in New York City for the Clinton Global Initiative. As Jodi Kantor relates in her book The Obamas, Obama could not resist the urge to take a swipe at Clinton:
The former president came out first and praised the current one to the skies. The stimulus! A new college loan program! America’s bright future, the coming wave of high-tech jobs! But Obama was not there to discuss his work; he was there to discuss his wife’s. “Bill Clinton understands where I’m coming from,” he said after taking the podium. The former president, perched on a stool a few feet away, nodded, smiling. “He knows what it’s like to be married to somebody who’s smarter, somebody’s who’s better looking…” — the familiar Clinton smile grew a little tighter, as if he was not sure he appreciated the assessment of him or his wife by the younger man — “somebody who’s just all around a little more impressive than you are.” On “impressive,” Obama let out an uncharacteristic high-pitched giggle. Clinton’s eyes crinkled and he broke into a slow, exaggerated clap.
We’ll know much more about what goes on between Obama and his predecessors once he leaves office. Time will likely soften any hard feelings and animosities that have been created among them.
But from what we’ve seen so far, it’s clear Barack Obama is at best a reluctant member of the Presidents Club. Obama has always seemed like he believes he’s too good for the public who voted him into the presidency. It appears he feels similarly about those who were there before him.
About the Author
Daniel Allott is a writer in Washington, D.C.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (40) | Leave a comment
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spike59| 8.15.12 @ 6:22AM
ObaMao is thin-skinned, tempermental, arrogant, juvenile, prone to hold grudges, and sarcastic
Mark Halperin summed it up nicely when he described ObaMao as 'a dick'
Petronius| 8.15.12 @ 1:19PM
spike
Don't give dicks worse than they deserve.
Obama
Can't
Understand
Normal
Thinking
Appleby| 8.15.12 @ 6:50AM
As has been said many times before, Obama is a narcissist who is focused only in Me Me Me, I I I, 24/7. Like the typical College Sophomore, he knows everything and the adults know nothing, and if you just get out of his way, it'll be free beer and condoms for everybody and party til you puke.
I for one will be enormously glad to have an end to the Animal House Presidency.
CJW| 8.15.12 @ 8:33AM
It will happen only if you vote for Romney.
benny havens| 8.15.12 @ 7:00AM
In my view President Obama would be happier to consult with Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Fedel Castro, Che Guevara, Chairman Mao and Hugo Chavez.
Von Mises Jr| 8.15.12 @ 7:39AM
Like Obama's golf game, the American people had a mulligan in 2008. You are only allowed one. Next time you will be disqualified. And the penalty is that we lose our Constitution for good.
CJW| 8.15.12 @ 8:36AM
Von
The obvious explanation is that the other presidents were all proud to be Americans. Obama is not proud to be an American, as Michele noted. He friends and mentors were all anti American, such as Ayers, Wright, Marshall,etc. and he wants to change America. He did not say make improvements. We do not want to change America, we like it, the major improvement is to vote out Obama.
Von Mises Jr| 8.15.12 @ 10:00AM
Obama is a "One World Government" communist. Watch Agenda21 YouTube "for dummies" and you can see what Maurice Strong, Soros and their puppet Obama have in mind for the world masses.
The problem they have is that only stupid, envious people such as Perpetrator and D'Red Communist are following the Pied Piper.
Drudge headlines today show that the young vote is trending toward Ryan. This makes sense since they love Ron Paul who has basically identical fiscal ideas.
While they may have been ripped off with the Liberal/Progressives educations bubble owing five or six figures in student debt, they learned enough to realize they are being had. Medicare goes broke in 2023 and Social Security in 2037. So anyone under 40 will pay about 15% of their income (with matching SS payments by their employer) and not get one thin dime back.
Older people that paid into Medicare will get the Obama euthanasia pill.
CJW| 8.15.12 @ 12:02PM
I like the Wyden-Ryan plan, originally proposed by Bubba.
Those under 55 have a choice. Stay in Medicare OR take the premium money and buy your own insurance. Dolts like purpie/jack will take Medicare because they like the government running their lives. Those with a functioning brain will take the money to purchase a plan suitable for their needs. Sort of like a voucher for education, such as the GI bill. which the lefties hate since it empowers citizens and not the government bureaucrats.
Von Mises Jr| 8.15.12 @ 12:15PM
The dolts on the left and the trolls like Obama stealing $716 BILLION from Medicare since it redistributes the wealth. The money in that plan is contributions by those that have or now work. Medicaid is paid for by the state out of taxes.
The left is not very smart except the crooks at the top. Medicaid in New Jersey cost $10B currently in our $33B Budget. ObamaScare raises the cost of Medicaid to $15B or a 50% increase. All things equal, the budget would go to $38B or a 15% increase. There are two options:
1) Increase property taxes by 15% (they are about $10-12K on average now)
2) Do not implement ObamaScare and the people get zip, zero, nada that were promised coverage
The other issue is that 60% of the doctors surveyed in Jersey (some 4,300 I believe) said that they will not accept the new Medicaid patients. So even if they try to implement it, they still won't get care.
But the liberals do not care about medical care for the people. They want control of our lives and to expropriate our money.
Occam's Tool| 8.16.12 @ 1:25AM
Anybody note one of the latest stories on Weasel Zippers: the VEEP's contingent came through Blacksburg, i believe. A local bakery refused to serve him due to the President's obnoxious comments on small business. The Secret Service Contingent guarding bobblehead went to the bakery, THANKED the owners for not serving Biden, and bought some donuts.
Wild, eh?
scotchieguy| 8.15.12 @ 12:05PM
Excellent point, however I think the 2012 election is the real "mulligan." It is a do-over. In 2008, we teed off and put the ball in the drink. We get a chance to fix that mistake by electing Romney. If we screw this up, we are toast.
Von Mises Jr| 8.15.12 @ 12:32PM
scotchieguy, If you are a Scotsman, there is a book "How the Scots Invented the Modern World" by Arthur Herman. Some great Scots include Adam Smith, David Hume, Georg Hegel, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Rush, James Polk, John Stuart Mill, Alexander Graham Bell....I have not read it yet, but it appears these were all Scots.
Al Adab| 8.15.12 @ 4:09PM
Jr:
That is a wonderful, engaging and interesting book. While I appreciate all those accomplishments, I prefer the 16 year old imported barley water that the Scots take so much pride in.
CJW| 8.15.12 @ 4:41PM
I agree, great book. On the same subject, try James Webb's "Born Fighting" about the Scotch-Irish immigrants, and "Albion's Seed" by David Hackett Fisher, about the four "types" of British immigrants.
sailorman100| 8.15.12 @ 7:51AM
Bambam won't admit that others were demigods before him
SaraB| 8.15.12 @ 8:01AM
Obama is not as smart as those who held office before him. Off TelePrompTer he speaks in shallow platitudes and cutting insults that do little to mask his insecurity.
smoky mountain gal| 8.15.12 @ 8:58AM
No SaraB, he speaks his truth. His marxist truth.
c. j. acworth| 8.15.12 @ 8:18AM
Carter was the worst president this country has had. Until now, of course. Carter has also been the worst f0rmer president we have had, being mean-spirited and overtly critical of the country he led for four years. I also expect Obama to surpass Carter in that dept. as well
Pecos Pete| 8.15.12 @ 9:17AM
cja: King O will be much worse than Carter. King O knows only about rabble rousing. He will continue to attempt to divide the country. I wouldn't be surprised if King O formally joined the Communist Party.
Question: Where will King O live upon his retirement effective January 2013? Chicago? I think not. I suspect that the King and Queen along with the court jester, Ms. Jarrett, will want to be close to the national press in New York where they will be able to spew their hate on national TV. (Maybe I misspoke in that the current court jester is Biteme Biden?)
Albert Constantine Jr.| 8.15.12 @ 2:53PM
I wouldn't be surprised if the Obamas established a residency in Florida or one of the other states that don't have a state income tax, in order to limit having to pay "his fair share".
Occam's Tool| 8.16.12 @ 1:39AM
No, I expect the O will move to France or Spain.
loulou| 8.16.12 @ 2:02AM
No. He'll move to Dubai.
Louis Jenkins| 8.15.12 @ 8:21AM
Dudes, why should Obama cohort with the white presidents? He's a cut above those mere homeboys. Or so he thinks. Remember, Obama is the first president ever elected on the race card, therefore, it would be demeaning to be seen with the likes of president Bush, Clinton (inspite of his being the first black president), Carter, or Bush #1.
smoky mountain gal| 8.15.12 @ 8:54AM
Maybe it's Valerie Jarrett, obama's Svengali, that keeps him from seeking advice or knowledge from past presidents.
Anyway, I would bet my last dollar that Pres. Romney won't be seeking any advice or knowledge from obama.
mike 3/505| 8.15.12 @ 9:05AM
I'll take that bet. Romney is a class act...like Bush...and even on occasion, Clinton. He knows that the Office is so much more than The Man. He will consult with all the prior POTUS's.
Mike G| 8.15.12 @ 9:38AM
Romney should seek advice from Big O. Then Romney should do the opposite of what is Obama advises.
Derek Leaberry| 8.15.12 @ 4:41PM
Yes, sort of like Custer and Little Big Man.
TW in SC| 8.15.12 @ 9:01PM
Jack Crabb: General, you go down there.
General Custer: Youre advising me to go into the Coulee?
Jack Crabb: Yes sir.
General Custer: There are no Indians there, I suppose.
Jack Crabb: I didn't say that. There are thousands of Indians down there. And when they get done with you, there wont be nothing left but a greasy stain. This ain't the Washite River, general, and them ain't helpless women and children waiting for you. They're Cheyenne brave, and Sioux. You go down there, General, if youve got the nerve.
General Custer: Still trying to outsmart me, aren't you, mule-skinner. You want me to think that you don't want me to go down there, but the subtle truth is you really *don't* want me to go down there!
Skippy| 8.15.12 @ 5:15PM
That's the general idea...
CrackerHound| 8.15.12 @ 11:47AM
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. He may not be an ex-president...EVER.
Seriously though...I pray he loses in a landslide in November. A mere defeat will not cut it.
atilla| 8.15.12 @ 2:17PM
OBAMA ISN'T QUALIFIED TO SHINE ANY OF THEIR SHOES, EXCEPT, OF COURSE, CARTER'S.
THIS GUY, OBAMA, HAS TO BE HAMMERED FROM NOW TO ETERNITY AS THE SOCIALIST , PROBABLY COMMUNIST PATHOLOGICAL NARCISSIST THAT HE IS..
HE CARES ABOUT NOTHING , BUT HIS OWN
SICK VIEW OF AMERICA AND AMERICANS ; AND HOW TO PUNISH US.
HE IS LOATHSOME .
HE WAS ELECTED FOR THE WORST REASONS BY THE WORST OF CITIZENS....THE TAKERS.
Derek Leaberry| 8.15.12 @ 4:40PM
Sadly, the reason many of these men hobnobbed and phoned each other is that most of them carried out policies that were only a variation from the others. For instance, Nixon carried out Johnson's Great Society and expanded it to Affirmative Action, quotas and school busing. Eisenhower never really cut the high taxes Truman handed him. Bush I raised taxes and so did Clinton. Bush II was as great a spender as Johnson and Nixon, Clinton a little less and Obama more.
Reagan had little to do with the other presidents. Part of this was his reclusive personality. Only Nancy was truly close to Reagan the last 50 years of his life. Part of it was that Reagan was a conservative and the others were not.
For the record, Nixon's last assistant, Monica Crowley, maintained that Nixon was irked that Reagan pretty much ignored the still-toxic Nixon during Dutch's two-term presidency. On the other hand, Nixon was flattered that Clinton often called to ask advice. But that was before Clinton was occupied by other, more physical, endeavors in the West Wing.
Bob James| 8.17.12 @ 11:10PM
Not to mention wage and price controls, the Department of Labor, OSHA and, oh, wait, the EPA. Yes, that EPA, brought to us by yet another establishment Republican.
I hate to say it, but our "friends" are our worst enemies. There hasn't been a Republican president worth a pigeon's crap since Ronald Reagan
Cincinnatius| 8.15.12 @ 10:41PM
I wish I could take credit for this quote but I think it was made by a Polish official. That said, it perfectly encapsulates Obama and further amplifies the assertions made in Mr. Allott's article.
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their president."
obadiah| 8.16.12 @ 7:41AM
satanic obama marxist must fail. keep repeating the mantra: bush-good, obama-bad.
marcos| 8.16.12 @ 1:34PM
Very interesting article and good reading
SpiderMike| 8.16.12 @ 2:12PM
How did our first President that one day Obama would sit in the Oval Office?
“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” ~ George Washington
Mistral| 8.16.12 @ 5:37PM
Incredible that you still have a kenyan as your president, in spite of all the evidence demonstrating he is not eligible. Incredible too that you mifght even imagine such a dysfunctional narcissist as Obama would even consider the remotest praise of a predecessor. He does not know how to do this.
buzzard| 8.17.12 @ 1:36AM
Read R. Kipling's "A Servant When He Reigneth".
Kipling was wise.