Presidential Transition Memories

As we transition from the nightmare of Bush to the hope of Obama, I recall past Presidential transitions in my lifetime, as felt then and as viewed from time.

Roosevelt to Truman
Roosevelt died when I was too young to understand. History has shown that our only fourth term President had done practically nothing to prepare Truman for the possibility he would have to take over the Presidency, and that Truman rose to the occasion, a fact more recognized in later years than it was during his Presidency. His unexpected election in 1948 ushered in a rough ride that sent him into retirement with a very low public opinion, but again time has salvaged his reputation. I remember the newsreels at the movie theaters showing a feisty little old man walking fast with reporters in pursuit, and I understood he was President Truman.

Truman to Ike
I remember being in downtown Seattle for a dental appointment when General MacArthur was being given a hero's parade. As kids, we played Army a lot, but we were always the guys in foxholes, not the Generals, so I was not sure I knew which was MacArthur and which was Eisenhower. As MacArthur faded from the news, Eisenhower rose so high that it was apparent he would win election regardless of what party he chose. "I Like Ike" was the slogan and he did seem likeable, but by then I understood I was a Democrat like my Mom, and Ike was a Republican, so we had to be for the less appealing Stevenson. Ike's years seemed pleasant enough, with the Korean War fighting stopped and relative prosperity. The Democrats seemed to throw in the towel in 1956, by putting Stevenson up again. I remember the air raid sirens and drills and the talk of hidden communists. I could understand the danger of a bomb being dropped on us, but I never did get the connection between somebody in America with unpopular ideas they tried to keep secret and the dropping of the bombs.

Ike to Kennedy
By the end of Ike's years, I had come to understand how Republicans were for business and Democrats were for workers, and I was glad Ike was leaving. Vice -President Nixon seemed unlikeable and had a reputation as a two-faced scoundrel, which seemed to fit his physical appearance also. Enter Jack Kennedy, who at first I confused with his brother Bobby, who got more TV time as counsel on the Senate Kefauver hearings. JFK was incredibly handsome, heroic and for the working man. He had a beautiful, cultured wife, though personally I was not drawn either to her looks or her country club background. As a Catholic, it was exciting to think of a Catholic President, and after a bunch of grandfatherly types, it was really exciting to see more of a handsome uncle type running. The fun of boyish war games had given way to a young college student's appreciation of peace, so the Peace Corps proposal was thrilling. My 21st birthday fell a few days after the election, so I was extremely disappointed not to be able to vote. Though the Peace Corps sounded exciting, I was too much of a home comfort lover to seriously consider joining.

Kennedy to Johnson
No adult American at the time can ever forget the assassination of John Kennedy. It was the most terrible of terribles. Then the shooting of Oswald, the Kennedy funeral, the numbness of it all. I could not avoid the suspicion of Lyndon Johnson involvement. I was prejudiced against Southerners anyway, and LBJ was not really a Kennedy man, and the shooting just happened to occur in his home State. Many people were wary of Johnson, but it soon seemed he was trying to get civil rights legislation passed in honor of Kennedy. Then he actually accomplished it. And there was more, the Great Society with Medicare and Medicaid. Kennedy had the charm and popularity, but did not actually accomplish much in his short time in office, but LBJ did great things. Unfortunately, our domino theory thinking had sucked us into the spot previously filled by the French in Vietnam, and Johnson and most of his advisors failed to see the stupidity of it, though privately they recognized the ultimate futility. As potential cannon fodder, I educated myself quickly and opposed our involvement early. Vietnam escalation put an end to Johnson's social progressive agenda, and took such a personal toll on him that he declined to run in 1968. If not for Vietnam, LBJ would have carried his Great Society agenda forward, much to the betterment of America.

Johnson to Nixon
I cannot remember who I voted for in 1968. I had been a Eugene McCarthy supporter from day one. When Bobby Kennedy entered the arena I got excited for him. I have a letter from him agreing with my opposition to the Vietnam War, written about a month before his assassination. I beat the draft by enlisting in the Reserves under Johnson. Then as the Congress began to tighten the purse strings on the War, the sneaky Johnson did an end run by calling up the Reserves, so I was on active duty during the 1968 campaign, driving around McChord Air Force Base with my McCarthy for President bumper sticker, when most of the "lifer" sergeants had George Wallace signs. I think I did vote for Hubert Humphrey, in spite of his support for the War, because he was a true labor backed Democrat and I did not want to see Nixon win. Nixon was a crook and a phoney and it was depressing to envision him as President. My active duty time expired on his watch and my disappointment continued as he won in 1972 over McGovern, who was my kind of progressive. I followed Watergate closely, believing that Nixon had finally gotten caught and would have to pay the price, I was parked on Mount Rainier, getting ready for a hike, when I heard Nixon resign. If Nixon did a few worthwhile things while President, they are more than buried by his continuation and expansion of the War in Southeast Asia and his fundamental disgracing of the office of the Presidency.

Nixon to Ford
Gerald Ford was a decent man, though I completely disagreed with his politics. Why he pardoned Nixon we will never know for sure, but it undermined his credibility and prevented him from rising above caretaker status. We could have done a lot worse than this caretaker, so he deserves credit.

Ford to Carter
Carter came in as an unknown outsider. I was nervous about anther Southerner, but I voted for him. Carter inherited an inflationary economy he was unable to rein in, and also got caught in the Iranian revolutionary overthrow of an ineffectual Western imposed Shah. History has shown Carter's greatest skills are as a diplomat, and it was only in that area that he had some lasting Presidential accomplishments. His work after the Presidency is easily the most impressive of any American President.

Carter to Reagan
To me, Ronald Reagan as a President was a bad joke. I could not believe it. The scoundrel actually undercut President Carter, by dealing under the table with the Iranians, an ethically challenged tactic he used again in the Iran-Contra matter. Reagan is the most overrated President of modern times, when he in fact should be considered one of the worst. His trickle down economics and destruction of our governmental work force have proved devastating through the years. He was in the right place at the right time for the collapse of Soviet communism, but he grandstanded and postured instead of doing the important work of controlling nuclear arsenals and preparing for a better post-Soviet world.

Reagan to Bush I
This was the Reagan third term, except Bush does get credit for finally realizing Reaganomics had created such a mess that Bush had to renege on his "no new taxes" pledge and agree to a tax increase to prevent an even bigger mess.

Bush I to Clinton
Bush was not a good sport loser. Clinton thought he had all the answers, but his transition was not that successful. His accomplishments are actually incremental, some undoing Bush-Reagan errors, and some toning them down, but nothing of progressive significance. In fact, many of his more far reaching programs, like welfare changes, free trade agreements and sale of the public spectrum are more regressive. I have written here several times that the good economy of the Clinton years is more illusory than legitimately progressive. Granted his successor has taken us to new lows, history will show Clinton should get his share of the blame. I have also written here about the sexual failings of Clinton, which will be forever chronicled in history as part of his being only the second President ever to have been tried on impeachment charges. A less ego driven man would be sensitive enough to spare us the continuing sight of his face at political events. He supposedly wants to pattern his post-Presidency after Jimmy Carter, but seems to have forgotten that Rosalyn Carter never ran for President.

Clinton to Bush II
The only President ever elected by the Supreme Court, this squatter, as I have written here, deserves to go down as the worst in history. Under the illegitimate circumstances, this transition was quite awkward and Bush came in with the attitude that Clinton had been an interloper in the dynastic reign. Hopefully we have learned from this never to let the Supreme Court elect our President again.

Bush II to Obama
Bush is so unpopular that even he is eager to get himself off the stage. About the only thing Bush has left not to screw up is the hand off of the baton. He seems to have just dropped it on the ground and told Obama that he won't touch it again, which is probably about the best way for it to pass. As Bush stumbles to the wayside, Obama is quickly getting up to speed and is poised to grab the stick on January 20th.