The "conversation" between ex-Presidents Bush and Clinton was...interesting, to say the least. Kind of like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type situation, I had conflicting views about the debate.
First, there was the hardcore conservative part of me, fuming at the news, watching protesters yell "Arrest George Bush" while holding signs reading "War Criminal". I wanted Bush to take hold of the crowd and DESTROY Clinton in heated debate. While many people believe Bush to be "stupid" or "dim-witted", nobody can argue that when the gloves come off, Bush can debate with some of the best (I only wish he defended himself more as President, but I guess that's a part of his character). I wanted Bush to slam Clinton on Rwanda (which although was mentioned, Bush didn't go for blood), and Lewinsky, and aspirin factory bombings, and Clinton's passing up on assassinating Osama Bin Laden...the list goes on and on. INSTEAD what I got to hear/read (since the "conversation" wasn't televised) was basically two ex-Presidents talking about the common bond that they shared, and calling each other brothers.
And that brought out the second side, that part that SHOULD have emerged first: the AMERICAN side. However much I despised Clinton's policies (and lets be frank, a good chunk of Bush's), at the end of each persons respectable eight year run as President all that's left (for each of them) is a man who loved his country enough to sacrifice everything for. No President can guarantee that they will do everything right. Every man makes mistakes, liberal and conservative, and quite frankly it was refreshing to see them as humans instead of what we commonly portray politicians as: either superheros or despots. I could only imagine the stress and worry of making decisions that literally affect MILLIONS of people, worrying about my family or myself being assassinated, and at end of the day I crack open a beer and turn on the TV to watch talking heads tear me a new one, regardless of what my decisions were. It makes you think for a moment about the humanity of these people and the Hell of being the most powerful man on the planet.
So politics aside for a moment, and a salute to ALL the Presidents with these last words: Better you than me.
