This will conclude my series on how I’m like the Presidents. It’s not only hard to believe I’m through the series, but it’s also hard to believe I found something in common with all the Presidents. Here we go with the last set:
Richard Nixon is the only President to resign from office. He is one of five children his parents named for British kings. He was probably the most paranoid of the Presidents. His self-preservation, at all costs, probably cost him the job he wanted more than anything in his life. Many of the energy efficiency standards, that continue to get stricter and stricter all the time, started during Nixon’s term as a reaction to the 1973 Arab oil embargo. Long lines formed at gas stations and customers were really upset at the rationing and price rises. Nixon decided to issues price controls and that only made matters worse. For all Nixon’s faults, he was quite successful on the foreign front. He visited China and opened up diplomatic relationships with them. Nixon was a strong anti-communist and he surprised everyone by initiating détente with the Soviet Union. I believe Nixon was insecure with himself and his talents. This self-protection ruined a really good political career. For all of Nixon’s struggle, he has some amazing quotes on dealing with struggles and overcoming failures. I believe this is a strong point with me. I try not to look for excuses, but instead I try my hardest to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of my success.
Gerald Ford is the only man to ascend to the Presidency, or the Vice Presidency for that matter, without being elected on a Presidential-Vice Presidential ticket. He was the first person appointed to the Vice Presidency under the 25th Amendment. When Spiro Agnew resigned as Vice President, because of his own corruption scandal, Ford was quickly confirmed to step into the Vice President slot. When Nixon resigned, Ford then stepped into the Presidency. Ford’s pardon of Nixon probably attributed to his defeat when he sought the Presidency on his own right. Ford was thought of as quite the clumsy President, but he was probably one of the most athletic. It might surprise some people, but when he graduated from the University of Michigan, both the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers wanted to sign him to a professional football contract. Throughout my life I have often surprised people by what I am capable of doing. I’m usually a team player and very rarely fall into the self-promotion pit. When asked to do or try new things, I rarely decline and I usually succeed. This usually results in someone saying, “I didn’t know he could do that.”
Jimmy Carter bounced into the Presidency on a wave of anti-Washington sentiment. In a very close election, he defeated sitting President Ford. With Carter, America returned to her roots. Carter was a farmer like many of our earlier Presidents. He was a peanut farmer. His big, bright grin was almost as well-known as anything he would accomplish while he was in office. Carter was one of the brightest people to occupy the office. He was a nuclear engineer. But under Carter’s watch the nation seemed to almost collapse. Among other things, the economy collapsed, the Iranians took our diplomats hostage at our embassy in Tehran, and his brother grabbed the spotlight with his Billy Beer. But Jimmy Carter probably has one of the biggest hearts of all the Presidents. His legacy would probably be best served more by his accomplishments since he has left office than his tenure while he was in office. His work with Habitat for Humanity, the Carter Center, and even teaching a Sunday School class in his hometown church in Plains, Georgia has inspired many. I hope, like Carter, that I never have an occupation that makes me forget that this world is not just about me.
Ronald Reagan would bring an end to the Curse of Tecumseh. Although an assassin would attempt to kill Reagan, he would survive and serve two terms. When he first ran, he attempted to lure former President Ford into the Vice President slot. He thought of it as the Presidential Dream Team. The deal would fall apart and he would select George HW Bush as his Vice President. Reagan was known for his tough stance on communism, yet his friendly interactions with Soviet Premier Gorbachev would eventually lead to fall of the Soviet Union. Reagan also understood disappointment. From his father’s failures, his wife’s, Nancy, cancer fight, and his own Iran-Contra scandal he would realize even being President had its limits. Reagan reminded us that it was okay to proudly love America. That was something we had forgotten. That seems like something we might need to be reminded of again today. Personally, I love our country, just like he did, and I don’t believe we are beyond hope. We just need to be reminded that usually our greatest struggles have come when we have put more of the focus on ourselves or our causes and less on the overall good of our nation.
George HW Bush may have grabbed the most headlines for his wild socks or skydiving adventures after he left office, but there was much more to the man than that. Bush was a Navy plane pilot who was shot down during World War II. Bush experienced great sorrow earlier in life on the death of his daughter. He would carry this pain with him for the rest of his life. Where President Reagan had the charismatic, bubbly personality, Bush was more of the silent, get-it-done type. Bush’s upbringing didn’t allow for boasting about his accomplishments. In politics, like most jobs today, most people believe self promotion is the best way to get ahead. He was taught that other people, not himself, were the ones who should do the bragging. He would stick by that principle. This came across, unfairly, that he couldn’t understand others’ plight. I was taught the same thing when I was younger: One doesn’t brag about oneself. Just like Bush, that confidence often comes across as that you don’t need a pat on the back every once in a while or that your heart is lacking. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Bill Clinton was born William Blythe, III. Clinton is one of three Presidents who was actually born after his father died. Rutherford B. Hayes and Andrew Johnson were the other Presidents whose fathers died before they were born. Clinton was also the second President who was impeached. Like Andrew Johnson, the other President who was impeached, Clinton survived the trial and was allowed to complete his Presidential term. Clinton grew up in relative poverty and would not forget his roots when he took office. He would be able to sing the Civil Rights song “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, all three verses, when several in the crowd didn’t even know all the words. Clinton met President Kennedy at the White House when he was younger and it touched his life and it inspired him. I’m not exactly sure who or what inspired my interest in the Presidents, but I know I was very young when I took an interest. It seems that the President is constantly under the magnifying glass and to study how they have handled that pressure, good and bad, has taught me a lot on how to handle my own problems and failures.
George W. Bush was the son of George H.W. Bush. This is only the second time in our history that a President’s son has also become President. John Quincy Adams, John Adams’ son, was the other son who became President. To be distinguished from his Father many just called him “W.” When he was growing up, his family nicknamed him Juney (a shortened, funny version of Junior). Being the son of a President must have been rough because “W” was known for the trouble he would get into and the drinking days during his youth. Billy Graham would be one of those who helped Juney get his life back on track. A few years after my beloved Washington Senators moved to Texas, Bush would become a partner in that new ownership group. Despite all the trouble “W” would cause his parents, Bush would always have the greatest respect for his Father and Mother. I have, without a doubt, at the very least, an equal respect for both of my parents.
Barack Obama is the first President who is actually younger than I am. Obama comes from a somewhat unusual family background. His father married his mother, but he was also still married to another woman in Africa. His parents would not stay together long and his father would not have a big influence on his life. His mother would try to find her way in the world and for a good part of his youth she would send him to live with her parents, who were his grandparents. That grandfather would encourage him to find his heritage. It seems that for most of his life, Obama has been searching for that. I believe Obama is perhaps the most politically savvy person to ever live in the White House. When he first ran for office, many opponents questioned his birthplace. He probably let them question it over and over again because he knew he could produce a birth certificate any time he wanted. This kept the discussion off the real issue, which was where he actually stood on issues. He knew his cool charisma would gather more votes than his somewhat boring straight laced opponent’s personality. So if all they wanted to do was talk about his birth certificate, then let them talk. I also don’t get caught up in the moment. I’m very good at working at the distant goal rather than the momentary, short lived accomplishments.
Well, there you have it. I have visited my similarities to the first ten Presidents, Presidents Polk through Hayes, Presidents Garfield through Wilson, Presidents Harding through LBJ, and, of course, this one with the Presidents Nixon through Obama. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much I have enjoyed visiting each one of them.
