For a supposedly unpopular leader, George W. Bush seemed very happy as he left Washington and as he arrived in his home state. "Nothing compares with Texas at sunset," he told a crowd meeting him in Midland. (Question: Who gets first dibs on 'Texas at Sunset' as a book title?)
The suddenly-former president had reasons to be happy, actually.
To start with, there was a public relations reason or two. In anticipation of his successor's advent, two television films were produced on the history of the White House that the Obamas will soon call home. But the films were made when the Bushes were still resident, of course, and that gave George and Laura the opportunity to present themselves to good account. They were articulate, avuncular and deeply enthusiastic about what the office, and the home, mean to them--and to America. These excellent films were run over and over the past few days and provided a pleasant accompaniment to the Obama celebrations.
Then, too, it was conspicuously clear to even the most crass media critic that the Bushes set a new high standard for Transition cooperation. That was another nice PR plus. Nobody tore out computer cables or hid office keys as some Clintonian staff did in 2000. Since the Obama crowd was strongly inclined to reciprocate the good intentions of the incumbents, everything went smoothly. "Gracious" was the apt word the new president applied to the outgoing president in his Inaugural address. A class act on both sides, I'd say, a credit to the nation and our system.
The surprising truth about the deepest motivations of people in Washington, as the one-time all-purpose official, Elliott Richardson, observed 30 years ago, is that most officials really most desire to remain useful and, therefore, relevant. Presidents and staff members who have ignored the advice of the people they replaced have made a prideful mistake. At times like this, the folks going out want to do one last service (if you'll give them the chance). It is possible that the Obama people may have been smart enough to oblige them.
The biggest reasons for the Bush smiles, however, may have been two policy victories of inestimable worth to the now-former president's reputation before History.
1) Israel has just trounced Hamas militarily in Gaza and possibly set the stage for successful negotiations, and, if not, produced a festering wound in Hamas' standing among the Palestinians. George Bush has been among the most pro-Israel of presidents and his backing indirectly helped enable this victory. Now that the fighting is over, at least for a while, Mr. Obama can follow up, stressing diplomacy and peace-making. But Bush helped give Israel the backing it needed when it counted. Whether he is given the credit yet doesn't really matter.
And 2), most importantly, George W. Bush--who could have been many things, including the president who put Latin America back in the top priorities of American foreign policy, instead was handed on 9/11 of his first year in office the mandate to confront Islamist terrorism. He did so in Afghanistan and then--to his own political cost--in Iraq. Nearly everyone on the Left eventually rallied against him, especially the man who will follow him in office. Barack Obama might not even have prevailed in the Democratic primaries if he had not been more anti-Iraq War than any of his Democratic rivals. Yet--irony of ironies!--Bush's much-criticized military campaign was proving successful even as Obama's political campaign also was succeeding. Today, as Obama acknowledged forcefully from the Capitol steps, the task before us is to exit Iraq "responsibly" (do I hear an "Amen"?) so that Iraqis will chart their own course freely, while we finish the job facing us in Afghanistan. This is not the anticipated outcome that got the Obama volunteers and donors excited over the past year, and yet few of them seem to have grasped the ironic reality. Bush does, however. (see William McGurn in The Wall Street Journal)
Bush could have done so many things that he didn't, but he had to fight the war on terrorism. He did it. He became unpopular, almost a punching bag. He persevered, far braver and smarter than his critics even now will acknowledge. And he handled himself with unassuming dignity and grace.
He suspects that History will judge him favorably. And that surely is why he was smiling as he and Laura left for Crawford.
