21 January 2009

He's Gone!

This is an absurd video - Hall & Oates playing pop stars with ironic detachment. And the lyrics are wrong. They are about longing for what was. And yet, I have found myself humming the chorus, substiting "he's gone!" for "she's gone!" and thinking about a certain helicopter that took off from DC yesterday.

I have to confess to a measure of disbelief that George actually left. I've been advised to move on, to let go. I'll try. Meanwhile, sing this chorus with me ...

"He's gone - oh my, and he took that devil Dick Cheney ..."

9 comments:

Allen said...

Yesterday’s Stock Market performance was the worst performance in history for the Market on Inauguration Day. On CNN last evening a couple of Finance folks stated the Market’s performance was a parting (sic) “gift” for GW. I didn’t but should’ve changed over to FOX News as I’m guessing they might’ve said the Market’s performance showed a lack of confidence in the new administration. Either way, it’s been an extremely difficult past 8 years since GW first took the oath of President in January of 2001: the unemployment % is now 2x greater; we are still in 2 so-called wars (Iraq & Afghanistan); the downturn in the U.S. economy is the 2nd worst in history, only surpassed by the Great Depression of the 30’s; and GW leaves the White House with a disapproval rating only surpassed by President Nixon.

Even though I absolutely did not vote for GW either time, I asked myself if all the troubles while he was in office were attributable to him. In my analysis I think many of the troubles are indeed of his own doing. The seeds of the financial crisis were probably sewn as far back as the Carter administration. But GW’s focus seemed only to be on Iraq, or rather, toppling Saddam Hussein. He seemed to think that as President he knew what was best for the United States and, with his re-election, he was validated by all U.S. residents that he was focusing on what was most important. If only he had done something as simple as conduct a survey. But no, he plowed ahead with his agenda, secure in his own belief that all Americans were following in his Leadership wake.

The beauty of OUR United States of America is we get to vote every 4 years in hopes of getting a leader who will at best do no worse but hopefully do better than the incumbent leader, or if the incumbent is re-elected that he/she improves on the last 4 years. We now get to see if we elected wisely. And in less than 4 years we’ll go through the process again with renewed hope and fervor. But today I woke up feeling better than I have in over 8 years, wrapped in the belief that we elected a President who understands what is required to be a good Leader of these great United States, understands he needs to provide a Vision we all can embrace and call our own, understands he needs to enlist for our support and use it, and finally, understands we’ll follow and respect his Leadership if he respects us, his fellow Americans.

exskindiver said...

What Big Al said.
and how appropriate that you picked a
Hall and OATHS song.

Gypsy at Heart said...

I was never gladder to see a helicopter fly off. I used to love this song. Not as good as maneater but close enough.

Ron Davison said...

Allen,
I think that you're right to distinguish between how far back a problem might trace back and what might have been done to address it. George did march to his own accordian, though. I'll give him that.

Chesca,
Very funny.

Milena,
I was so sad to have missed the helicopter. I watched and then ran off to the client site. I was wondering, "what did I miss? it seems like I did miss something." And then my buddy Bill told me that he saw the plane fly George back to Texas and it hit me. The departure! I missed it.

Anonymous said...

President Bush went against the grain to protect American lives on more than one occasion. I think that with the luxury of hindsight, we'll thank him later. I hope he lives in peace for the rest of his days. No president was perfect.

Lifehiker said...

Good Witch enjoyed the trip back to her early adulthood, but Hall & Oates weren't too popular in Kentucky. So did I, although I was a short haired ex=-soldier when this primitive and now-hilarious video was made. Youtube is incredible!

Anonymous said...

wow. that is one. horrible. music. video.

ouch.

David said...

The highlight of my day (in Mexico watching TV) was watching GWB speech-flip BHO and you usual suspects the bird from Crawford TX, in a presidential manner of course. Otherwise he'd have done the real thing on the helicopter as it lifted off for Andrews. Too bad.

The last two or three days have been all too somber. Thank God for Joe Biden and his sense of humor.

Ron Davison said...

Pinky,
You are a delightfully kind and loyal supporter. George is lucky to have you on his side.

LH,
YouTube is a time machine. I'm glad that I could take you back.

Damon,
So bad that it's good, right? No? Just so bad that it's bad? Well, at least the song is great, no? No? Well, I could have sworn it was a great song.

David,
Speaking of somber, I was so delighted to see that Jon Stewart apparently had no trouble making fun of the new administration - judging from his Tuesday night show. In the utopian future we'll still have comedy but no longer have politics. Wait. No. That would not be possible, would it?