The Past is Over

The Past is Over!

Quick, who said, “I’m not going to fire a two million dollar missile at an empty ten dollar tent and hit a camel in the butt.”?

If you answered former president, George Bush, you hit the answer right on the butt.

Old George. He caught, and still does, a lot of flak, some of which he brought on himself, but not all. Of course, if you listen to the present administration, old George is even responsible for the earthquakes of recent months as well as the volcano eruption in Iceland.

I voted for George, for governor and president. I didn’t approve of all his decisions, just as I do not approve of the current president’s. On the other hand, while I’m not the greenest pickle in the barrel, I’ve learned enough to realize that the human animal has a propensity for criticizing decisions without the benefit of pertinent knowledge. We’re all superb sidewalk superintendents.

No one can claim George is a polished speaker. He often mispronounces words, uses malapropisms, butchers syntax, and in general, garbles the point of his message. He is an English teacher’s worst nightmare.

I mean, after all, who else but George would say “I think we will agree, the past is over.”

Duh! If it is past, it is over.

In researching George, I ran across the following poem of his verbal gaffes on several sites. I got a good laugh from it. You will too. I could not find who composed the poem, but whoever they are, my thanks.

Make the Pie Higher

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the internet become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope

Where our wings take dream.
Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!

Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher!
Make the pie higher!

Oh, and there are many, many more gaffes. And yes, he certainly lacks President Obama’s eloquence. I can’t remember very many presidents who were as articulate, but George is a good and decent human being-and in today’s world, that is more important than eloquence.

Presidents always catch the blame even if they were not responsible for the situation. Of course, they often exacerbate the problem by decisions they make in regard to it.

People around the world took potshots at Harry Truman for doing what he had to do to end the war. Every president is in the same boat.

Clinton will never live down “I did not have sex with that woman.” H.W. Bush will always be remembered for “Watch my lips. No knew taxes.” Dan Quayle (though not a president, fortunately) will always suffer the embarrassment of being unable to spell potato. And who will every forget Lloyd Bentsen’s cutting reply to Quayle, “You’re no Jack Kennedy.”?

So, our forty-third president is not a gifted speaker. I’ll always believe he did his best just as I believe our current president is following ‘the wings of his dream.”

By the way, Nostradamus’ 1555 prediction, “In the millennium, the village idiot will become leader in the home of greatest power,” was not referring to poor old George, though many swear it was.

Actually, old Nostradamus was referring to Harry Reid.