There was something deeply strange about Bush II’s presidency and there’s something weird about his post-presidency too. I’m glad that painting is such an engrossing hobby for him, but there’s something more-than-a-little Chauncey Gardner about it all. I think it weirds people out, and I don’t mean that in a Real Murkins think art is Yurpean kind of way. His portraits of other world leaders, whatever their quality, reflect a funny view of other world leaders, one that seems too childlike (in a good ways and in bad) for a former president.
I just can’t see Jeb Bush becoming president while his brother paints pictures of Putin. Can you?
ruviana
I can’t see Jeb Bush becoming president under any circumstances but that’s just me.
James E. Powell
I can’t believe that the country is yearning for another Bush.
feebog
The thought of Jeb Bush as President sends a shiver down my spine. His record in Florida is contemptible. I really think he has a chance at the nomination. And I think Hillary Clinton will beat him quite handily in the General.
Ian
Would painting Angela Merkel nude be creepier than the shoulder rub?
TaMara (BHF)
So one former president starts a global foundation to address global health and wellness, another fights poverty and builds houses. And one president paints ugly ass paintings. I think that says about all we need to know about our living former presidents.
Omnes Omnibus
Canonically, isn’t it “This never happened to Pablo Picasso?”
Villago Delenda Est
@feebog: Not to mention his behavior in the entire affair de Shiavo, which was instrumental in causing our blog host to abandon the Dark Side.
gnomedad
You know who else should have stayed a painter?
trollhattan
Sweet rompin’ Ronny Reagan on a Roomba, I couldn’t envision how 43 might become president (such an obvious flyweight) so I’m not discounting Jeb! becoming everybody’s projection screen once they’ve decided they’re tired “taaard” of the eight-year cruel reign of the Kenyan usurper. And then, votin’ for him because he seems so much smarter than his brother (as does much of my furniture, but it was all born elsewhere).
Still think it’s going to be Walker, but Jeb! could make it more…er…interesting.
? Martin
@Omnes Omnibus: Indeed.
Pablo picasso never got called an asshole.
Not like you.
LanceThruster
That’s Dubya’s version of, “I’m a good driver.”
? Martin
@TaMara (BHF):
I’m proud of his paintings. Beats the hell out of the ‘Foundation for the Preservation of Torture and other Patriotic Acts’, which seemed his more likely alternative.
LanceThruster
That’s Dubya’s version of, “I’m a good driver.”
Anne Laurie
There’s a bold contrarian #slatepitch meme being circulated that Jeb!’s who’ll-beg-me-first “musings” are a way to depress voting totals in 2014. Idea is that any “Clinton v Bush” talk automatically reminds a lot of younger-than-Boomer voters that HILARY IS A DIRTY COMPROMISED OLD POLITICAN BAG, ergo, those Youngs will have such a big sad that they won’t show up to vote for their Democratic candidates this fall.
There’s a second, related meme (read the comments here) that the Jeb Bush Media Village “boomlet” is the Permanent Security State reminding the Obama administration that the CIA always has a way to fight back against disclosure, and another Bush to figurehead that pushback.
DougJ
@Omnes Omnibus:
You’re right. Should have googled.
BruceFromOhio
Not in the least.
John Cole
Every time I hear that song I think of Repo Man.
DougJ
@Anne Laurie:
If my party were thinking of nominating Rand Paul and the only alternative was Jeb Bush, I’d be starting a Jeb Bush boomlet too.
Gvg
No. I don’t get what you think is weird about it. It’s a hobby. lots of people do other things when they retire, especially things that aren’t good income supporters.
I have so many issues with Bush I can’t count but I don’t see any importance or weirdness in a hobby, not even one they aren’t good at.
? Martin
@John Cole: As well you should. It was on our must see list for the kids.
Now excuse me while I fold my pants.
ulee
Bush paints from his gut, wars from his gut. No mind. No trouble.
Omnes Omnibus
@Anne Laurie: I’ll go with Occam here. The Bush boomlet is due to the money boys on the right looking at the parade of idiots who are presenting themselves as candidates and they are panicking.
DougJ
@Gvg:
What’s weird is that they’re other world leaders and they purport to be psychological. Nothing weird about his bath pictures and what not.
Omnes Omnibus
@DougJ: I googled to make sure before I commented. The reference was, nevertheless, quite clear and I was being pedant.
wenchacha
For one thing, Tony Blair looks like Kevin Costner. Good point on the weird portraits, not looking very accomplished, but not much like “outsider” either. I like the composition in the cat painting, the cow skull is no Georgia O’Keefe. He should stick with pets. God, maybe he sees his four-legged friends as more real that the crazy box-head Putin.
I’m glad he isn’t killing and harming as many people as before, but his legacy continues. He and his dad, and his Gampy all never lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public. The US citizenry should stop being Uncle Sugar to the effin’ Bush family.
John O
A J. Bush-HRC race would virtually guarantee a third party vote from at least one interested observer.
DougJ
@Omnes Omnibus:
I appreciated the correction in any case.
ulee
Angus King, Independent, for President.
Anne Laurie
@Omnes Omnibus: Didn’t say I agreed with the memes, just that EvenTheSeriousPoliticalJunkies are already attempting to tie Jeb around Hillary’s throat.
Which seems extremely counter-intuitive to me, but then, I’m a yellow-dog Dem and an Edwards supporter, so there’s that.
ETA: Or then again…. @John O
ulee
or Stephen King, I forget, someone from Maine…..
Omnes Omnibus
@Anne Laurie:
Fair enough.
Hunter Gathers
If every minority voter woke up tomorrow and said ‘Fuck this shit, I’m moving to Canada’, he’d win by at least 10 points. If it were up to White people, Sarah Palin would be in the White House right now.
Ruckus
His brother being a half assed amateur artist is not what bothers me at all. The idea that we could be inflicted with another in a family line of horrid idiots to be president is. Out of over 300 million people there has to be at least one person better than any of the bush clan. Out of the commenters on this blog there should be at least one person better than that.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
@DougJ:
Can I just say, these comments are very confusing for me and presumably others who came into the thread after this exchange. What I get from it is that there was an original (wrong quote or something) thread title which Omnes questioned and DougJ corrected, but since I never saw the original title, only the (presumably) corrected one, this makes no sense.
FP dudes, if you’re going to fix something (you know, other than a stray apostrophe or something, which could happen to anyone) in a thread title or post, please indicate what it is you’re fixing with strike-outs or an update/edit comment or whatever is most appropriate. Thanks.
/OCD
srv
Bush’s paintings are an aspect of his Narcissitic Personality Disorder, and he paints world leaders as a form of self-aggrandizement. Painting those who either mirror-image his self image via direct flattery or flattering himself by seeing himself equal to those leaders.
Omnes Omnibus
@Hunter Gathers:
No, if every minority left, we would have Scandinavian style social democracy with in 10 years. I think you underestimate how much racial animosity (Southern Strategy, par example) is fucking us up.
Hill Dweller
Dubya is a broken man. He bit off more than he could chew, and he and the country paid dearly for it.
DougJ
@SiubhanDuinne:
Sorry, but the strike throughs also get confusing. This is the best I could do.
ulee
I really like this blog but there are blogs that go unnoticed. Say it Aint So Already is a good blog. Give her some clicks.
stickler
I think the portraits — hell, all W’s art — deeply weird, and yes, maybe even creepy. I’m especially annoyed by the frequent “well, Churchill painted too!” comments that are popping up, even in supposedly straight journalism. Churchill and W should never appear together in any context, except maybe “polar opposites in every way.” Bush painted his own feet sticking out of a bathtub. WTF?
No, I mean it — what the everliving fuck?
His entire administration was a parade of failure and comic-opera incompetence. It wouldn’t surprise me if all this “art” is actually being painted by an intern, who they’ll forget to pay at some point, who will then come forward with an expose on the while mess. Bush managed a team of folks who, among other things, flew a pallet of $8 billion into Iraq and then lost it. He is an epic example of “you’re doing it wrong.”
Suzanne
@Ruckus:
Quoted for emphasis. Seriously.
I am more scared of Jeb or any one of those clowns that the GOP will nominate than I am fussy about which specific Dem wins the nomination. I am pragmatic. I want 8 more years, and I am willing to accept the good or the mediocre rather than the best in order to get it.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Pooty-Poot. But Obama is naive.
ETA: and perhaps more important: God wants me to be president, God told me to strike Saddam and I did, Gog and Magog…
It’s a wonder we’re all still here
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne: DougJ got a Modern Lovers lyric slightly wrong, and I got OCD pedantic about it. DougJ then corrected the quotation. It made no difference to the meaning; it did change the way the line scanned..
Hill Dweller
@stickler:
The Village is still trying to rehabilitate his image.
The Dangerman
Talking of a convention in Vegas and nominating Bush; it’s not a political party, it’s performance art.
ETA: Maybe Andy Kaufmann will come back to run as VP.
cbear
Hey, I don’t think we should be so hard on Dubya and his painting.
Frankly I’m amazed that the Chimpster was even able to attempt any art form above Play Doh.
ruemara
Posted, because now you ‘ve gotten it stuck in my head. And I”ve never seen Repo Man.
Eric U.
@ruviana: posting without reading the thread, but the thing that scares the shit out of me is that I couldn’t see Bush the lesser becoming president after his father. Enough people in this country are fucking morons, it could happen. Look at 2010. I had a nominally liberal person tell me that he votes for both parties. I understood that back in the day, but even then I couldn’t vote for republicans. Maybe in the north, where they weren’t mouth-breathing cretins, but those days are long over.
montag
Poor old W. He fancied himself a great statesman in office, like Winston Churchill. And now in retirement he fancies himself a painter, like Churchill. In truth he is only a jumped up fool.
gogol's wife
@DougJ:
So sue me, I thought the one of Putin was pretty good.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: THAT IS SO NOT TRUE TAKE IT BACK YOU BASTARD!
Anne Laurie
@DougJ: Never underestimate the grassroots power of Rick Sanctorum.
The Spite Voter bloc is strong in this country, and the Pennsyltucky Savonarola is its rightful — in every sense — representative.
AxelFoley
@gnomedad:
I see what you did there.
Omnes Omnibus
@gogol’s wife: Probably because Bush had looked into his eyes or something.
@efgoldman: I dunno.
@Anne Laurie: Ricky is my early pick. He can make a valid case for being the next man in line.
Mike in NC
@James E. Powell: Oh yeah, we can do that. Make Liz Cheney the VP for added awesomeness!
SiubhanDuinne
@DougJ: Well, could you at least say what you had originally?
max
@Omnes Omnibus: The Bush boomlet is due to the money boys on the right looking at the parade of idiots who are presenting themselves as candidates and they are panicking.
And besides, Jeb! Wants to be President. He thinks he deserves to be President. And his brother wasn’t so bad, not like that black guy.
@Hill Dweller: The Village is still trying to rehabilitate his image.
They liked him, even if the war situation did not develop necessarily to the countries advantage. You know, shit happens. Mistakes were made, and Clinton allowed an intern to suck his dick, we’re at war with the Russians and the Iranians, and rich people need tax cuts. So there you go.
@Anne Laurie: There’s a second, related meme (read the comments here) that the Jeb Bush Media Village “boomlet” is the Permanent Security State reminding the Obama administration that the CIA always has a way to fight back against disclosure, and another Bush to figurehead that pushback.
The national security state is always reminding every Democrat that they’re in charge here. Shit, the Bushies floated a story in the NYT not but two months ago bragging about how they rolled Obama with terrorist freakouts during the transition period in 2008. One Steven J. Hadley, an idiot’s idiot, was quoted respectfully.
The Jeb! thing is the R party looking around and realizing they have no one to unite behind, so they’ll go with the retread maybe. Pretty much like the last time (1998), where the R party was looking around for somebody to unite behind and all they had was Mad Dog McCain and a Bush. With impeachment looming.
max
[‘Original, they ain’t.’]
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne: “This did not happen to Pablo Picasso.”
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
Okay, thanks.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thanks again.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@efgoldman: Last time we saw a Jebbie boomlet was when it looked like Santorum might actually pose a threat to Mitt’s Money Machine. Cruz I think could be a real wild card. I think he’d be a lot harder to stop.
chrome agnomen
@Hill Dweller:
i agree with this. i can see him in ten years painting with his own feces.
sorry, in advance, for that image.
Mike in NC
@Ruckus: Senator Prescott Bush was deeply involved with funding the Nazis well into 1942, yet the Village Idiots passed on that.
Culture of Truth
Maybe Dubya is what he’s always appeared to be, a dim, wastel son of three privileged families who never found his place in life until he was pushed into politics, for which he had a maginal talent, thought none for governing and even less for policy. His curse is a bit of self-awareness, enough to know he was used and abused by his mother, his father, and Dick Cheney, in that order.
Roger Moore
@efgoldman:
I would not count on the ability of the money boys to bring the party to heel, especially if they wait until things start looking bad. I truly believe the inmates have taken control of the asylum, and some of those inmates have a lot of money to throw around, also, too.
The Republic of Stupidity
Well thank Dog for that…
Mike in NC
@Hill Dweller: Yeah, but the speaking fees are awesome!
mdblanche
I see from Newsmax that Jeb B*sh is still deciding whether to run in 2016. And so’s Mitt Romney. And these are the so-called electable candidates. The GOP has a real embarrassment of embarrassments.
Frankensteinbeck
@Omnes Omnibus:
I agree. I’m not sure there’s any issue in American politics now that hasn’t been divided into ‘This would be good for America’ and ‘THEBLACKHORDESARECOMING’.
@Anne Laurie:
It doesn’t matter. Santorum will not win the nomination in 2016 for the same reason he didn’t in 2012. He’s so wildly incompetent he will not be able to build a political organization. That was the thing that set Romney apart from the others. He was a mediocre, unlikable politician. His competition were morons who forgot to get themselves put on major ballots.
EDIT – @Roger Moore:
What I just said to Anne. The crazies are in charge, but they also can’t tie their own shoelaces.
Omnes Omnibus
@Culture of Truth: That’s probably about right. That look on his face in the photo from 9/11/01 was the look of someone who knew he was utterly out of his depth He apparently handled being his dad’s hatchet man fairly well in ’88. He was a front man for big money boys. That’s about it for his career.
ETA: That and the vaguely trailing off ANG thing.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
That’s why the notion that Willard will make another run cracks me up (though I have no idea if that whole White Horse thing is true), the man barely beat Rick Freakin’ Santorum and Newt Clownshoe Gingrich. Fercrissakes.
Jewish Steel
Yes! Apt.
ulee
@AxelFoley: Please let’s retire that reply. It’s not clever or insightful. It’s annoying.
Mike in NC
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Mittens & Anne Rmoney are deeply invested in the White Horse crap. They’ll spend a certain amount of money regarding another run in 2016, but in the end will pull the plug to give those bucks to the grandkids.
Tokyokie
@John Cole: Every time I hear that song, I think of a plate of shrimp.
Roger Moore
@Frankensteinbeck:
It’s not obvious to me that the saner ones are so good on the shoelaces front, either.
Omnes Omnibus
@Roger Moore: “On closer inspection, these are loafers.”
–Rainier Wolfcastle
gussie
Did I dream that Jeb recently said something like, ‘illegal immigration is sometimes what a good family man does?’
I swear I saw that somewhere. Unless I’m drunk, doesn’t it disqualify him completely?
gussie
Easily found! Via TPM:
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Sunday said that it shouldn’t be considered a felony every time a person enters the country illegally, according to the Washington Post.
He said that many come to the U.S. without documentation “because they couldn’t come legally, they come to our country because their families — the dad who loved their children — was worried that their children didn’t have food on the table.”
“And they wanted to make sure their family was intact, and they crossed the border because they had no other means to work to be able to provide for their family,” Bush continued. “Yes, they broke the law, but it’s not a felony. It’s an act of love. It’s an act of commitment to your family. I honestly think that that is a different kind of crime that there should be a price paid, but it shouldn’t rile people up that people are actually coming to this country to provide for their families.”
rda909
@Jewish Steel: That character was clearly a God/Christ-like character with the walking on water at the end and other aspects, so the Bush Family is kind of the exact opposite of Chance the Gardner.
Omnes Omnibus
@gussie: While I am not a fan of Bills of Attainder, I do not think that anyone from that family should have a shot for a long, long time.
John O
@Anne Laurie:
I live in IL, so it would be easy for me to rationalize a third party vote. HRC will take IL.
There’s also this thing I have about the idea of political dynasties, and family money, and inherited power. Hillary would be miles better than whatever moron the GOP manages to nominate, even Jeb.
Just to clarify.
Omnes Omnibus
@rda909: I suggest reading the book.
Mandalay
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I loathe Romney, but that is simply not true; he won 37 of 50 states. He kicked the shit out of Santorum and Gingrich. It wasn’t remotely close.
I don’t think any Republican will become our next president, but at this stage Romney seems a more viable candidate for them than most of the alternatives being floated about.
ulee
@Mandalay: I predict Rand Paul will be the Repulican nominee. He may be an isolationist and a liberatarian but consistency is not an issue for the right. It’s all about getting rid of the Democrats. Bush didn’t start these wars, Obama did, Bush not for the banks, it’s Obama. It’s 1984 for these idiots.
wasabi gasp
The artwork is transcendent. He successfully achieved an extraordinary level of sophistication sans pancake.
ulee
And actually, I’m sick of Obama’s bullshit too. He’s better, but he is still a shill.
Omnes Omnibus
@ulee: Neither the money people nor the theocrats will tolerate Paul.
GregB
Has he done any paintings of Karla Fay Tucker, perhaps Cindy Sheehan’s son, maybe just one of the million dead Iraqis?
Amir Khalid
@Mike in NC:
Is Mitt really thinking about running in 2016? Didn’t his missus give that interview last year where she essentially said, “Now life has killed the dream I dreamed” ?
ulee
@Omnes Omnibus: you’re right, but who else have they got?
Jewish Steel
@rda909: It was a long time ago, when last I saw that film. My impression was that he was an imbecile. But I’ll take your word for it!
ulee
Obama is a decent person and I believe he is pushing an equality agenda in his second term, but I think he needs to push harder. He’s the President. He should screw these plutocrats. He’s only got this one chance.
Cervantes
@TaMara (BHF):
You omitted Bush 41 — which may say all we need to know about him as well.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cervantes: Goes into money making in a BIG way?
Jewish Steel
@rda909: Although Mr Ebert does not think this is entirely clear:
rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-being-there-1979
Omnes Omnibus
@ulee: Any candidate from the GOP needs to have the support of the one of the groups and the acquiescence of the other. Paul could get acquiescence from either but support from neither.
Omnes Omnibus
@Jewish Steel: Also, the book is different. One should perhaps make clear whether any reference is to the movie or the book.
Roger Moore
@gussie:
Nah. Some candidates are more equal than other candidates. Besides, anyone has a chance to recant and or explain away any heterodox statement, and Minitru has amazing powers to eradicate that kind of thing.
Jewish Steel
@Omnes Omnibus: Yes, I had the same thought. I wonder if the book has the walking on water scene?
Cervantes
@Hunter Gathers:
Probably — and that’s far more embarrassing than Bush’s paintings.
ulee
@Omnes Omnibus: Then there is only Jeb Bush. Please Spaghetti Monster, not another Bush.
WaynersT
I’m so glad someone else finally noticed this strange behavior of Pres. Bush.
My first impression ( and still my impression) is that he’s had/is having some kind of undiagnosed nervous breakdown. The guilt of the death & maiming of so many people had to weigh on him eventually. Although he always struck me as quite dim and uninterested in learning anything new, he also never struck me as the flat out sociopaths that Cheney, Rumsfeld et al. were, and continue to be.
He looks like a worn and broken man.
Omnes Omnibus
@Jewish Steel: No, it does not.
Also, the book, like Forrest Gump, is far better, darker, and funnier than the movie .
Ben
@Tokyokie:
Me too! Let’s get sushi and not pay.
Ruckus
@Mike in NC:
Exactly the kind of thing that makes them idiots. I recall that Joe Kennedy’s background was hauled out extensively when JFK was running as was his religion.
John O
I must be the only one around here with moderate-to-high confidence Obama is going to propose and do his best to enact some rather heretofore so-called “radical” ideas, like declassifying MJ as a Schedule 1 drug (a sure fire bet to mobilize the youths) and going all-in on labor rights, even maybe against the NCAA, and other cool stuff right around the midterms this year.
Or maybe I’m just projecting.
Omnes Omnibus
@John O: It wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Phoning It In
@DougJ: Alice Neel he’s not.
angelfoot
Re: Bush paintings: he seems to have a lot of empathy for animals (I especially like the cat in the mirror) but struggles with reading humans (himself and his father included.) Although I see some warmth in the Tony Blair portrait. And Olmert shows some complexity.
Lihtox
Nothing wrong with the guy painting, but why is it in the news? I’ll bet Clinton picks up the saxophone every once in a while too, but he hasn’t released a CD. The thing is that these paintings are apparently the most significant thing that Dubya, with all his connections, is doing with his life right now.
PhilbertDesanex
@gogol’s wife:. Recreational/therapeutic painting OK, W does seem to have some dim self awareness of what he has wrought, but showing them in public!? I wonder if his pic has convinced Putin even further Americans are insane idiots.
I’m just grateful McCain didn’t get elected and die.
Mnemosyne
I prefer the Burning Sensations’ version from the Repo Man soundtrack, myself.
But, then, I often prefer the remake to the original. I also prefer the William Shatner/Joe Jackson version of “Common People” and the Johnny Cash version of “Hurt” to the originals.
RandomMonster
I’m gonna guess that Shrub was impressed that major figures like Churchill and Eisenhower painted as a hobby, and thought he could get a little gravitas with a paintbrush and some tubes of paint.
Reminds me of a joke. “Q: Is George W Bush just like Hitler? A: No. Hitler was a gifted orator and a decorated combat veteran.” We could also add that Hitler was more skilled as a painter.
Mnemosyne
@RandomMonster:
“He could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon! Two coats!”
dollared
Late to this, but that’s a fabulous post title, and totallllyyyyy appropriate to the Dadaist career of Bush II. Bravo!
Ruckus
@Lihtox:
The paintings probably are the most positive thing he’s done in his entire life. Which is pathetic.
AxelFoley
@ulee:
Let’s not. Especially if it annoys you.
Fort Geek
@efgoldman: Every time I hear about voters “coalescing” around the conservative flavor of the month, I mentally auto-correct that to “congealing.”
SRW1
Dear Jeb,
the guy who fucked up your White House aspiration was your dad. By pre-clearing the field for that incurious,know-nothing brother of yours who your dad knew perfectly well exactly for the dry drunk with zero personal achievments he was. Get over it.
EconWatcher
@GregB:
When thinking about what kind of person W really is, it’s always good to remember Karla Fay Tucker. Tucker Carlson is not exactly a classy guy, but even he was shocked when Bush mockingly imitated Karla Fay Tucker begging for mercy before her execution. And then this guy Bush makes a big joke of looking for missing weapons of mass destruction under his desk at the White House Correspondents Dinner, after sending thousands of soldiers to their death in Iraq.
After all these years, it’s still just shocking that he ended up president of the United States.
wenchacha
@Phoning It In: I loved Alice Neel, too.