John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE IN THE GUARDIAN
"Why are the Bushes, Clintons, Obamas and Melania smiling so broadly at a funeral?"
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/shortcuts/2018/apr/23/why-are-the-bushes-clintons-obamas-and-melania-smiling-so-broadly-at-a-funeral#comment-115025424
An interesting tid-bit.
I think the reasons are not even touched on by the writer. There are two basic factors.
First, the Bushes are visceral political enemies of Trump.
They are older-money establishment, and is found often with such people, ‘new money” is viewed with disdain.
A number of the Bushes have gone out of their way to express almost contempt for Trump.
George - the former President so many people dislike as much as British people dislike Tony Blair - actually said in public recently that Trump makes even him look good.
Of course, the fact that son Jeb lost the nomination to Trump, and lost badly, has a fair amount to do with the family's view. They very much have a sense of entitlement. When a Bush enters something, he’s supposed to finish first.
Second, recent revelations about Trump’s past personal behavior after he was married – an affair with a porn star and an another with a Playboy bunny-type – undoubtedly hurt Melania’s feelings badly. She is a very private woman.
Given her position, there really is no way for her “to get back” at him. Anyway, they don’t even sleep in the same bed. And everyone knows he listens to no one.
The idea of divorcing him is not attractive, especially for a woman in her position The publicity over the first divorce in the White House would be intense. And Melania loves the accouterments of wealth, as in 40 thousand-dollar dresses. A divorce would cut her off. He undoubtedly, given his personality type, had her sign a pre-nuptial contract with a fixed settlement.
So, the funeral, with Trump’s enemies, was a welcome, acceptable opportunity to express her feelings about Trump. I’m sure he got the message.
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Response to a comment calling Barbara Bush amazing:
Amazing?
Barbara hardly qualifies as that, if you know more than just her smiling-granny photos.
An insider, who should know well, said she was a nasty drunk.
I can believe it since I remember a couple of her appalling public quotes.
The one was about not dirtying her beautiful mind with images of body bags being returned home from her son's war. She actually said that on television.
Another was a really disdainful and unpleasant comment about all the poor survivors of New Orleans (all black) huddled temporarily in the stadium in Houston, the Bush homestead town.
