Monday, May 9, 2016

The Act

Donald Trump has been getting a lot of heat for the past year, for not "acting presidential."  I'm not going to pass judgement here.  That's not my job.  That's up to you.

I will offer a historical review.

Was it presidential for JFK to have a fondness for women other than his wife?

Was it presidential for Lyndon Johnson to lift his beagle by the ears?

Was it presidential for Richard Nixon to say "sock it to me" on Laugh In?

Was it presidential for Jimmy Carter to parade around the Oval Office in jeans?

Was it presidential for Ronald Reagan to eat all those jelly beans?

Was it presidential for Bill Clinton to play the saxophone on Arsenio Hall's TV show?  I won't get into Clinton's other Oval Office antics.

Was it presidential for Barack Obama to sneak a smoke on the White House grounds?

I'm sure there are countless other examples, going back to George Washington.

At one time, it would have been unthinkable for a president to go on a late night talk show.  Now, it happens all the time.  I know candidates went on with Jack Paar, Dick Cavett, and Johnny Carson-- but the shows weren't as silly back in the day.

Handlers want to humanize their candidates, show they're regular men and women.

It's impossible to draw the line because the line keeps moving.