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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Miss these guys yet? You betcha."
They looked relaxed, comfortable in their own skin and happy to be in each others company. They looked normal. The sight of former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at the Presidents Cup golf tournament made one downright nostalgic and a little sheepish about not appreciating them more when they were in office, even the ones we passionately disagreed with.
In the 24 years of their combined presidencies, we experienced war, economic calamity, government shutdowns, an impeachment and a myriad of other painful episodes. One segment of the electorate differed strongly with the policies of one or more of them. Looking back, however, some of the criticism was entirely deserved and some was disproportionate, unfair and wrongheaded. Despite their mistakes and missteps, we passed positive, bipartisan measures, including welfare reform, No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D reform and the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We normalized relations with Vietnam, passed the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Magnitsky Act again on a bipartisan basis. We helped end the Balkan war, saved the auto industry and prevented a financial meltdown (thanks to Bushs and then Obamas support for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP). Some part of the electorate approved of more controversial items under each president; the electorate did not believe by a large majority (as they do now) that any of them was unfit to hold office, no matter how strongly some of us disagreed with some of their actions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/09/29/miss-these-guys-yet-you-betcha/?utm_term=.1c60550db309
In the 24 years of their combined presidencies, we experienced war, economic calamity, government shutdowns, an impeachment and a myriad of other painful episodes. One segment of the electorate differed strongly with the policies of one or more of them. Looking back, however, some of the criticism was entirely deserved and some was disproportionate, unfair and wrongheaded. Despite their mistakes and missteps, we passed positive, bipartisan measures, including welfare reform, No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D reform and the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We normalized relations with Vietnam, passed the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Magnitsky Act again on a bipartisan basis. We helped end the Balkan war, saved the auto industry and prevented a financial meltdown (thanks to Bushs and then Obamas support for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP). Some part of the electorate approved of more controversial items under each president; the electorate did not believe by a large majority (as they do now) that any of them was unfit to hold office, no matter how strongly some of us disagreed with some of their actions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/09/29/miss-these-guys-yet-you-betcha/?utm_term=.1c60550db309
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"Miss these guys yet? You betcha." (Original Post)
DemocratSinceBirth
Sep 2017
OP
They look a lot happier than Trump. He either looks miserable or has a feigned smile.
DemocratSinceBirth
Sep 2017
#4
I don't miss him, but I'd sure rather have him than the thing we have now.
patricia92243
Sep 2017
#6
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)1. Two out of three aren't bad.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)4. They look a lot happier than Trump. He either looks miserable or has a feigned smile.
WhiteTara
(29,715 posts)2. I don't miss *
patricia92243
(12,595 posts)6. I don't miss him, but I'd sure rather have him than the thing we have now.
lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)3. I'm so old ...
I can remember when the USA actually had a president.
sarisataka
(18,655 posts)5. Did you ever think
you would look back on the 'W' years as "the good (bad) old days"?
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)7. He wasn't a hater or an intentional divider so there's that.
sarisataka
(18,655 posts)8. There is something to be said
for simple, semi-honest incompetence
Doreen
(11,686 posts)9. What is sick is that I would rather have Reagan.