For most of our country’s 233-year history, our Presidents have left office and passed into obscurity.
The idea of a post-Presidential career has largely been a product of the 20th century, as our former leaders have lived longer and found a need to fill the void in their lives once leaving the White House.
In some cases, their achievements have eclipsed their time in office.
Some have concentrated on preserving their legacy by building their Presidential museums or writing memoirs, like Gerald Ford. Others have continued to work for a greater good.
Jimmy Carter is a notable example, he won the Nobel Prize in 2002 for his work toward peace in the Mid-East and has contributed greatly to the successes of Habitat for Humanity.
Since leaving office nine-months ago the newest ex-President, George W. Bush, has kept a low profile.
Apart from speaking engagements outside the U.S. in Canada and China, he has rarely been seen in public outside of Senator Ted Kennedy’s funeral or the occasional Texas Rangers game.
This may seem fitting for a president who left office with a 22 percent approval rating, but George W. Bush has finally booked his first stateside speaking engagement as a “special guest speaker” with the Get Motivated! business seminar today at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena in Fort Worth Texas, with a follow-up appearance in San Antonio on December 2.
“Get Motivated!” is a production of Peter and Tamara Lowe, a motivational speaking “dynamic duo” who’s website describes their seminars as being, “world famous for its energizing, action-packed, star-studded, fun-filled, spectacular stage show.”
As a part of his Fort Worth engagement, former President Bush will join the likes of Dr. Robert Schuller who is described on the Get Motivated! web site as “America’s Best Inspirational Speaker,” Rick Belluzzo “Legendary President of Microsoft” and Terry Bradshaw “Legendary NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback.”
While we at The Current find the idea of our 43rd President moonlighting in his retirement as a motivational speaker a bit hilarious (the combined linguistic acrobatics of Bush and Bradshaw is humorous enough to consider).
We also believe it to be degrading to the image of the presidency and ill fitting of this one in particular.
Retired Presidents doing speaking engagements for money is nothing new.
Bill Clinton does similar engagements for Tony Robbins in Canada.
Bush’s engagement, however, smacks of a type of cheapness typically reserved for get-rich-quick through real estate seminars at the airport Marriot and late night infomercials for Cash4Gold.com.
In particular, the idea of a president whose administration has been called by Bob Woodward the most secretive and dishonest since that of Richard Nixon, one that misled the American people into a costly war, neglected another conflict of greater importance and left our economy in its worst shape since the Great Depression as a motivational speaker seems downright wrong.
We wonder what inspiration this man can offer an audience after he failed to inspire the people of this nation for eight years?
Bush’s Presidency was characterized by its self-serving, walk-tall attitude and swagger, as well as a go-it-alone ethos that alienated our country internationally, reducing our stature and influence abroad.
The Current wonders if this leadership philosophy will be Bush’s message this afternoon and on November 2nd. Moreover, we hope that if it is, that his audience will turn a deaf ear to it for their own sake and prosperity.
