ON BEING PRESIDENTIAL

Yesterday was the bowling debut of our leagues' 2009-2010 season. I am both president of the league and captain of my team--mainly because no one else wants to do it.

I really don't know that much about bowling. I used to know how to keep score but these days electronic screens and computers take that job off my hands although I can still follow along--helps keep my mind active.

We were setting averages and handicaps yesterday. Means nothing to me. As captain, the main job is entering the scores and separating the copies to give to the secretary. Since this was our first day, there were no handicaps and I thought the secretary would figure it out--which she did. But many others more capable than me were figuring out their own handicaps as a courtesy to our secretary and to lessen her burden. I had no such thoughts although if I'd given some thought and done my research I could have done that too. Laziness and inattention on my part but you'd think as president of the league that would have been the least I could do.

The other night, my husband and I watched the Frost/Nixon Interview--not sure if that's the name of the movie but you get the idea. Interesting that such an event was first made into a play and then adapted to a movie and got quite a bit of acclaim.

President Nixon was of my time. The interviews took place in 1974 when our youngest child was nearly one yr. old and our oldest just turned five. I vaguely remember them. I remember realizing that this was history--a president resigning--and trying to figure out just what his problem was or, more accurately, what his persecutors' problem was. I thought the movie would clarify that for me. It didn't. In the end I feel the same way now as I did then. That Nixon was persecuted beyond justification for his wrongdoing and that he did nothing more or less than what others did before and after him.

The actual interview was justifiably notable because it brought about the confession and admission of guilt that the PEOPLE were looking for and that they never got before the man left office. David Frost, at the time, was a playboy talk show host from Britain/Australia who was known more for his fluff than for in-depth interviews.

That he could get Nixon to agree to such an interview was pretty surprising. That he had no idea what he was up against became abundantly clear during the first three interviews. Nixon was a pro and he knew how to protect and present himself to the media and had no intention of losing any more face to his public. He'd had a lot of experience in losing face in the media and he'd learned some valuable lessons.

But he also appreciated a competent adversary; a good fight. And had told Frost on several occasions to not pull any punches. Frost's inexperience at such a thing became evident in the first three interviews but by the fourth one, he'd finally learned his lesson and got the confession from the man known as "tricky Dickie" that no one else had been able to extract. Although Frost was on the verge of losing everything financially and professionally that he'd worked hard to attain, the final interview not only assured that he recovered all that but all that and more. I noted that in the additional features included on the cd, he is now known as "Sir" David Frost.

I still don't understand why so many people hate Richard Nixon. Admittedly he did wrong even making the preposterous statement to the effect that if the President does something, even if it's against the law, then because it's the president doing it, it is no longer against the law!

Still, in my view he did nothing worse than anyone else in his office had ever done (or continues to do)--he just got caught. Note: I'm not saying he shouldn't have been punished. What I think is worth noting is that his transgressions dragged this country down in the media so much (to the detriment of the world's opinion of us) that everyone forgot all the good he did. That he was the president who got us out of Vietnam and ultimately opened relations with China.

In my opinion, many of our other leaders have done far worse and accomplished far less. I really think Nixon acted, for the most part, in the best interests of his country within his capabilities. Of course, this writing over-simplifies the matter. But, this is my blog and this is my opinion.

Like the president of our country who relies on others to take care of the details of his job, I too, rely on my secretary/treasurer to do hers and I bless her for it. But the fact is, if Janetta abscounds with the treasury, as my name is on those checks, I'd be considered as guilty as she would be. It comes with the territory.

Peace and love,

Carol