21 Comments

I thoroughly enjoyed your 'analysis' of the present and past look at the relationships between these folks! You reminded me about how Hillary Clinton was the 2008 Democratic frontrunner and, then, Barack Obama came out of nowhere to outduel her for the Democratic presidential nod. That had to hurt...and she was probably still internally reeling from losing to Donald Trump in the prior election!

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Thanks. Yep. Clinton was destined to be our first woman president (the public was very much ready for a change in 2008), but a junior senator who had done next to nothing in his very short political career hit all the right notes.

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Karen Pence was unmercifully attacked by Trump supporters via " the pen is mightier than the sword". My God, the lady was there for a funeral, not a social event. She probably had preferred to stay home, but the good wife that she is, she supported her husband Mike. More than I can say for Melania, who is in a "fake" marriage, to use Pres. elect Trump's fav. word.

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The selection of Lennox’s “Imagine” was a little strange for a Christian service.

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For sure.

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This is great! 😂

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Lol. Thanks.

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You forgot to mention the One Who Wasn't There and conspicuous by her absence - the empty chair, Michelle Obama. She had a "scheduling conflict" and couldn't be bothered to interrupt her vacation in Hawaii. Yeah, and my dog ate my homework!

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I honestly don't care who wasn't there. I wasn't expecting that many first and second families to show up in the first place.

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I care. We have only had 41 presidents die in the 249 year history of the country. Every such funeral is an American moment, when the former presidents and first ladies gather under one roof to honor one of their own. I don't buy Michelle's excused absence. I think she's just another bitter quasi-politician who puts party and partisanship ahead of country.

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But... Jimmy Carter belonged to her party.

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That's my point. Why wasn't she there? It appears her partisan squabbles with the Republicans in attendance "trumped" her duty to country, despite the fact that the deceased was a member of her own party. As my father told me years ago, showing up matters.

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So, you're speculating that she didn't go to a Democratic president's funeral, because she'd have to be around a few Republicans?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/michelle-obama-embraces-george-w-bush-why-photo-was-so-n654451

Or are you speculating that it was specifically to avoid being around Donald Trump?

It certainly could have been the latter, or it could have been for other reasons (including the vague one she gave).

Personally, I wouldn't have cared if a number of the people who showed up hadn't shown up.

Just out of curiosity, what did you think about Trump's public complaints about American flags flying at half-staff during his inauguration, as per our country's tradition of a 30-day remembrance following the death of a U.S. president? Do you consider that more or less respectful than a first lady not attending that individual's funeral, while sending her condolences to the Carter family?

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When it comes to these Washington pols, it's tough to meter the disrespect scale. In fact, it's exhausting, and my back hurts from bending over to adjust this low bar of expectation. For me with Trump, it started years ago with his digs at John McCain, about how Trump likes his heroes who don't get captured by the enemy. The long, deep list goes on from there, with the latest being his remark about the flags at half-staff. As for Michelle, she was first proud of her country when her husband got elected president? I will give Trump the respect of a man who ran and was elected president twice. No such respect is earned for M. Obama, who always rates highly as an Oprah-like transcendent figure in the public's eye but has never thrown her hat into the rough-and-tumble ring of politics. And sending condolences means nothing to me. As I said, showing up matters, whether it's funerals, weddings, or your kids' ballgames and recitals. My dog can send condolences.

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If it's someone on the other side do you believe negative speculation without even considering positive speculation and, when it's someone on your side, do you give them the benefit of the doubt?

What if Melania Trump hadn't shown up? Would you have said "Who cares? It was a service for a loser, anyway"?

What was your response to Trump not showing up at President Biden's inauguration?

This is what's wrong with politics. Why not attack or discuss substantive issues instead of resorting to pettiness?

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Sometimes it's OK to laugh at a commentary, such as this, except for the fact that the dimmest among us have been elected to positions of leadership, except of course, in Donald J Trump's case.

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Trump's not dim?

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Correct. Not dim. He did a great job running the country in my humble opinion.

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He tried to overturn U.S. democracy, and caused an insurrection at the Capitol... after adding nearly $8 trillion to the national debt in just four years, starting a self-defeating trade war, and botching a global pandemic which lost him the election.

Hey, but at least he was smart enough to defer to Paul Ryan on taxes, and the Federalist Society on Supreme Court nominees. I'll give him that.

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I think you are confused.

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Nope. Just someone who avoids political tribalism.

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