That the losses in HW's political career were ignored. In everything I saw, they were emphasized, including by his own family. His defeats, refusal to stay down, and comebacks (really end runs around the defeats - he didn't recover from his 1970 defeat with an electoral win - he became a reliable appointee in a number of roles, mostly relating to foreign policy, that left him uniquely qualified for his senior exec roles of the 1980s and early 90s), are an indispensable element of his life story and legacy. And they were emphasized everywhere. You saw people bitching and moaning about CNN? I missed that - I saw it about the AP. This thread is the world's greatest example of how the media really is fair on whole, at least as indicated by the fact that all the politicos on this board find offense in this, with partisan preference determining what part of the coverage supplies the offense.

But make no mistake - HW took a beating in 1992. An incumbent who can't carry 40% of the popular vote is a problem. And attitudes toward him (he's aloof and uninterested) and perceptions of his policies (he owned the struggling post Cold War economy and the tax controversy) were IMO the biggest reason for Perot's success. Your thesis assumes that without Perot, those votes would go to Bush. I see no reason to think that - I think they'd have stayed home. Bush was not a talented campaigner up against a uniquely talented campaigner, and he was saddled with extreme Reagan/Bush fatigue after 12 years.

Doesn't anybody really get the themes of the remembrances? The grace with which HW handled these defeats is perhaps the single greatest non-policy element of his legacy. As Meacham said - the last great soldier-statesman, who's first known brush with defeat was a near death experience in WW II, after which survivor guilt of a sort drove him for the rest of his life.

Stories like this abound - a guy talks about the crushing 1992 defeat, but HW was at his desk at 7 am the next morning trying to arrange jobs for his staffers. Clinton talking about the graceful letter that waited for him from his predecessor when he first walked into the Oval Office. Slick Willy and the man he beat - they became the closest of friends.

To me, all this agonizing, one way or the other, over the reporting of HW's life of ups and downs, just shows that all the crazy partisans are much more interested in their endless search for "gotcha moments" with the evil media than in really appreciating what all the reporting and tributes mean. Just another little indication of the sad state of our politics. And how the true lessons of this extraordinary life are being missed by the people who could benefit from them most.

[Post edited by hoolstoptheheels at 12/06/2018 10:23AM]