41 - A true statesman

We lost a great American a few days ago when former President George Bush passed away. A veteran, he held numerous political offices before being elected as President of the United States. Few men were as prepared as he was for the role due to his wide range of political experiences and the offices he held. He was a very humble man who some feared would not be able to overcome his humility to succeed in the rough-and-tumble primaries, but when he was nominated many political experts said he gave one of the most powerful acceptance speeches they had heard. Even more important than his accomplishments was his love for family. He was never afraid to express that love in ways that made people believe he met every word of it because he did.

One other thing that has been mentioned repeatedly since his passing was that he was a true statesman, something that is seriously lacking in today's political world. He was not afraid to work with Democrats to get America's work done. He was not afraid to speak honestly about what needed to be done and to do what was needed to accomplish the task. I'm not sure we have anyone in political leadership today that is a true statesman. His son, George W. Bush, did not have that quality to the degree that his father did. Presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump certainly would not be confused as statesmen. It is a trait desperately needed in America today.

It was a sign of that statesmanship when we saw him and Clinton working together to raise money for areas hit hard by natural disasters. Today when we see our latest former president still interfering with American policies and attacking the one who replaced him, it is another demonstration of how much we need statesmen in leadership today.

Bush had such high approval ratings just a few months prior to running for reelection that it has always surprised me that he did not win that election. The public turned on him as the economy began to cycle down, and Clinton took full advantage of that. You might remember the mantra of that election was "It's the economy, stupid." People forget that the economy goes through regular cycles, and in a down economy they are quick to blame whoever is in office. They also forget that the most important thing a leader brings to his or her office is character. Yes, the economy improved during the next president's term of office as it would have anyway, but the character factor took a nosedive and became an embarrassment for our nation.

It also hurt his reelection effort when he approved a tax increase after his famous statement, "Read my lips. No new taxes." It's very difficult for a political leader to make a promise like that not knowing what the future might bring. No doubt he knew when he approved that increase that his critics would howl and accuse him of lying to the American people, but he also knew it was needed at that time. He would do what he thought was the right thing and let history decide later whether he was right or wrong. The American people turned against him, but I think history will be much kinder to his presidency.

I pray one day that we will return to having leaders with the statesmanship qualities that our 41st president had regardless of which political party they may represent. We need men and women of decency, people with gentle spirits who put the needs of the nation ahead of their own to lead our nation. We need people with faith in God who are more committed to doing the right thing than what will ensure their reelection. Unfortunately, the older I get the less hopeful I am that we have such people today. I pray I am wrong.