And in the end they preserved nothing. The old school is gone.

Aren’t institutionalists supposed to save the institution?

I'm sympathetic to the notion that past presidents shouldn't wade into politics after they are out of office, but I feel the current circumstances are unusually dangerous and I think I would have voiced an opinion if I were W. Sadly, now I think it's too late.

I think it would be even less likely for HW to say anything.

I’m wondering if he believes that when the violence begins that he’ll be the voice of calm and have authority because he didn’t criticize Trump.

On Nixon’s orders, GHWB tried to quash a federal criminal probe into Spiro Agnew’s bribe taking. GHWB also had complicity in the Iran-Contra scandal, and later pardoned some of its worst offenders. These are not the actions of anyone committed to good government.

Barbara on Trump: "I'm sick of him. Just sick of him."

I think he has dementia. The only excuse anyone could have for not standing up for our democracy

Not for Trump 1, but have to think he had faith in the institutions to withstand it. That no longer applies.

W has offices with Crow here in Dallas

Would we say that Pence has "stepped up"? I think he has, but maybe it's worth considering that stepping up doesn't change much.

90% possibility he's not only OK with what is happening, he's giddy with excitement about it. The other 10% hope it goes further into the dictatorship thing. We have to consider that possibility.

I know someone on here blocked me because she was angry I didn’t agree that @timmiller.bsky.social & @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social were self hating gay people. Today’s episode of The Next Level they’re talking about the issue of Log Cabin Republicans & Republicans lack of support for LGBT.

In 2016 he said he was voting for Hillary. So did Barbara Bush. www.bbc.com/news/world-u...

www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11...

www.politico.com/story/2016/0...

I really wouldn’t make excuses for them.

I do believe Barbara Bush made her thoughts known. I think she was the only one.

Too much Texas and not enough New England left in him.

But Barbara Bush did. Several times.

Read my lips. GHWB was mediocre at best.

As in, von Papen old-school.

Barbara came the closest.

Frankly, the entire GOP is complicit. Just because their better angels couldn’t defeat their lurking greater demons is in no way an excuse. Any defense of their actual behavior since Nixon seems distorted to ignore responsibility. Iran Contra and the October Surprise is enough to sink Reagan. WTF.

GHWB at least publicly said he was voting for Clinton. I’m not sure when his end of life dementia reached the point that we should no longer be expecting him to have participated. GWB missed his chance three times to fight for democracy and the Constitution. No excuse there!

I believe W has calculated that publicly opposing Trump only feeds the MAGA “deep state” narrative. Agree or disagree, but I don’t necessarily think he’s wrong. Dick Cheney & Mitt Romney were very vocal. I’m glad they were, but I don’t think it helped.

You’re very generous. And you’re probably correct. W would have zero impact, one way or the other at the point. But if I were him I would just want to do a full-throated denunciation at least once to be on the record for the history books. Then I could retire back to my art studio again.

Barbara Bush was possibly the best of them.