Presidential Perfection

 We have never had a perfect president and we never will. The best for which we can hope is that we end up with a decent human being who will do right by our country. Donald Trump is my thirteenth president. All thirteen were flawed in some ways. They all perhaps meant well but, as flawed human beings, they made mistakes. We know this going in. When we elect a president, we try to pick someone smart enough to lead the country and to take advice when necessary, hopefully from individuals with broader expertise in their specialties.

Donald Trump & Woodrow Wilson

Jimmy Carter was a smart man and perhaps one of the most decent human beings we have had as president, at least in my lifetime. He was, however, a bit ineffectual in his role as president. Obama wasn’t perfect, but he too was a decent human being who did his best. Both Bush presidents had their moments and they had the interests of the country foremost in their minds as they tried to move the country forward and avoid disaster. Clinton too was flawed but had the interests of the country at heart. Similar comments could be made for Reagan, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, and Eisenhower.  Harry Truman was my president until I was eight and since he didn’t tax my little red wagon and didn’t outlaw candy, he is well remembered.

Sun Yue

No, perfection has never been achieved nor expected of any president. We always hope for a LeBron James but sometimes end up with a Sun Yue.  It was Mr. Yue, who reached the pinnacle of his career when he committed 4 fouls, and 2 turnovers in 5 minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks.  If you don’t know the name Sun Yue you are not alone, I did a search on the worst NBA players of all time and his name came up.  I have the distinct feeling after living under thirteen presidents, that a future such search for the worst president of all time will come up with a familiar name. Hint, it rhymes with dump.

Before January 20, 2017, the worst president on many lists was Woodrow Wilson. There are certain similarities between the former reigning champion and our new contender for the title of the “worst president the world has ever seen.”  Pardon the paraphrasing of our new champ.  Wilson created the federal income tax, Trump used it as a tool to give himself and others in the stratospheric tax brackets a windfall.  He also gained favor with his base by throwing them a bone as well. Wilson was an open and reprehensible racist while Trump is a closeted racist, albeit one hiding behind a glass door. Wilson implemented strict segregation in all departments in the executive branch and appointed fellow segregationists to high positions. Trump, on the other hand, started his cabinet in 2017 with no Hispanics, 4.5% Blacks, and 9.1% Asians while the US population has 17% Hispanics, 12.3% Blacks, and 5.3% Asians. Wilson was a racist progressive and authoritarian who advocated shredding the “outlived” Constitution, while Trump is just a racist authoritarian who ignores the Constitution and would support any ideology as long as he profits.

Now to the real meat of the comparison. Wilson reigned during a pandemic that ravaged America in 1918-19 known as the Spanish Flu. He contracted the disease while in Paris and managed to keep his illness hidden with the help of his wife who restricted access to her husband. A few months later he suffered a debilitating stroke and Edith Wilson maintained his isolation. Edith Wilson effectively ran the country in the waning days of his presidency. Trump, 100 years later, has contracted the virus responsible for this modern pandemic and has isolated himself at Walter Reed Hospital. By contrast, Woodrow Wilson never mentioned the Spanish Flu and basically pretended it didn’t exist. He did have World War I as a distraction. Trump can’t shut up about the virus but until Friday, October 2, 2020, he denied it and promised it would quickly be contained and would just go away. Now, for the first time in his presidency, since he is the one who is sick, everyone in and around his Marine One, VH 92 helicopter were wearing masks on their way to deliver him to the hospital.

Let the mask-wearing begin; The barn door is now closed, the horse is gone.

No, we will never have perfection in our elected officials. We can only hope for a promising stone that may, over time, be faceted and polished to a renewed brilliance. Our problem now is that we started with a lump of coal and we don’t have a billion years to wait for our diamond to materialize.  Some of us, desperate for a more profound change for the better in our civic leaders, thought a political neophyte with business experience would be better than a seasoned politician. The problem here was, the businessman selected had a track record for running businesses into the ground with massive debt. Couple that with his racism, narcissism, and desire to change our democracy into an autocracy, and you have a platform for disaster. One way or another, he has to go.

The Beijing Ducks have a new player

Just for the record, Sun Yue currently plays for the Beijing Ducks. Perhaps there is a team in Beijing that could use an overweight, six-foot two-inch septuagenarian.