Like many of my generation, I was too young during George W. Bush's presidency to really understand much of anything that was going on in the country, let alone the world. I remember waking up on a dreary morning in Longview, Washington on September 11, 2001, to my whole family crouched around the television watching the attack on the twin towers. I remember watching Bush arrive on the USS Abraham Lincoln aboard Navy One to give a speech regarding the end of the major military operations in Iraq. I thought he was pretty alright. I mean, he was the president, had to be good at what he did, right?
Well, 8 years later and in college, I can say I don't agree with a lot of Bush's policy. But that still doesn't make me dislike him as a person like many adults I know do. Deep down, I want to say he was a good president, and even knowing what he did during his time in office, I don't think he was absolutely terrible at the job.
Now 8 years after he left office, Dubya's started resurfacing as a public figure again since he battled a rain poncho at President Trump's inauguration. Most recently, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and I realized my feelings towards the former president aren't unfounded; he really is charismatic as all hell.
It also made me realize something that's sorely missing from the current administration: humility.
Alec Baldwin's played the current commander-in-chief multiple times on SNL multiple times since the primary debates happened, and instead of going the path of previous presidents/president-elects and ignoring their portrayal, Trump's had a rather scathing reception to the way Baldwin has played him.
.@NBCNews is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January">https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/8207641... 15, 2017
It is not just a bias against SNL either, Trump's ditching the White House Correspondents Dinner, a traditional event that a president hasn't skipped since Reagan missed the dinner in 1981 due to still recovering from an assassination attempt. This event isn't a roast or anything (Though Trump has had one of those), but it's a way for the leader of the free world to humble themselves as imperfect humans as we all are.
It's certainly not the end of the world that Trump doesn't like SNL or is not going to the White House Correspondents Dinner, but these actions are setting a worrying precedent. It's important for everyone, including the president, to be able to sit back and realize the world doesn't revolve around ourselves.