Friday, January 23, 2009
Well, it happened. Barack Obama was sworn in and has officially become President of the United States. The era of George W. Bush has ended, and a new one is set to begin. Countless questions now arise. What will Obama do to fix the economy? Will his election-time supporters be satisfied with his performance? But perhaps the biggest question that has not been addressed enough is this: what will become of George Walker Bush?
Yes, George W. Bush, or “Dubya,” as the cool kids like to call him. For eight years, he has been our nation’s leader, interacting with American businessmen, foreign dignitaries, foreign businessmen, concerned Americans and probably a few kids who opened up lemonade stands, as they count as “businessmen” and can supply him with endless streams of refreshing beverages on hot days.
But now, after declaring “accomplished” missions that had barely even started, insisting that Social Security isn’t reliable but the stock market is, and dodging only the most stylish Iraqi footwear, Bush is done in Washington. From here on, he will be president of little more than the shaky but beloved tree-house he will inevitably build somewhere on the grounds of his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Some former presidents go on to further their legacies after they leave the White House. Jimmy Carter has taken on humanitarian and diplomatic causes; Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush occasionally team up for philanthropic work; Richard Nixon spent several years attempting to construct an army of killer robots to deal with the people on his list of enemies. (Note: one of these may not be entirely credible.) Thomas Jefferson went on to found the University of Virginia, and his epitaph actually references that feat, but not the fact that he was once Commander in Chief.
What then, will George W. Bush’s great post-presidential activities be? Outside of Texas, most people know little of significance about his time as that state’s governor. He apparently declared an official state “ZZ Top Day,” in honor of Texas’s most gloriously-bearded rock legends, and seemed like a supporter of the death penalty. Of course, Bush may not even take on a cause. Sure, he’s got plenty of name recognition, which could do wonders for some issue, but after eight years in the Oval Office, he could be tired of that sort of thing. Perhaps this will give him the time he wanted to put more effort into clearing away brush on his ranch, where he could only spend five months of the year before. (Homesickness is a killer when you’re important.)
Time will tell if Bush uses his post-presidential life wisely, acting as the public face of T-ball, or something exciting like that. I can only pray that he pops up on the national radar once or twice, giving us some amusing mispronounced words we can laugh about for years to come.
Cohen is a Topeka senior in political science.
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Comments
Cohen: Possibilities for Bush’s post-presidential future
At the end of the day, he was the President of the United States, and you're a Topeka senior in political science.
Cohen: Possibilities for Bush’s post-presidential future
I'm not giving up on you Ben. Where is the point of this column? What were you aiming at accomplishing? It's not a bad idea for a piece but it lacks real insight.
Cohen: Possibilities for Bush’s post-presidential future
I don't think Bush is going to do anything great or notable now that he's out. He'll fade away.
Cohen: Possibilities for Bush’s post-presidential future
I bet he buys the Texas Rangers again. They win the World Series and then a grounds keeper discovers a giant oil field under the stadium.
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