Well, 146 proved pretty popular. A common comment was that it was too bad a real President couldn’t give an interview like that. Well, as I mentioned early on, the character traits necessary to become President are precisely the traits least useful in being President. By the time a politician actually gets to that point he and his entire family are highly trained professionals, portraying something quite bland and insipid, without any spontaneity or real feeling.
Then again, every once in a while, something different happens. Jerry Ford had never really intended to run for President, but Nixon plucked him out of Congress to replace Agnew. He and his family were surprisingly open to the public. Betty Ford admitted to being an alcoholic, and that she had gotten a mastectomy. They also admitted that when they moved into the White House they had moved out the separate beds that Richard and Pat Nixon had used, and they shared a bed. She had been a dancer and model prior to her first marriage, which ended in divorce. She also made comments on her children’s possible use of marijuana and pre-marital sex. In 1974 this was all rather scandalous!
I am sure there will be arguments about some of the programs Carl is killing or keeping. I think one thing which is sure is that GWB was much too impressed with the Pentagon and all the wonder weapons and didn’t have enough experience to know that most of the stuff wouldn’t work and would all come in for much more in price. Let’s see how that plays out.