Friedman Endorses Bush... George H. W. Bush

Thomas Friedman was on hiatus from the New York Times for most of the election season, preparing his new book. It is nice having him back and reading his inspired prose.

In short, the elder Bush understood the importance of acting in the world - but acting wisely, with competence and preparation. His great weakness was his public diplomacy. He wrongly antagonized American Jews by challenging their right to lobby on behalf of Israel. He could have given more voice to the amazing liberation of humanity that the collapse of the Soviet Union represented and to the American anger over the Tiananmen Square massacre. Although, in his muted response to Tiananmen, the elder Bush kept China-U.S. relations from going totally off the rails, which kept China on a track to economic reform. Although he raised taxes, he never really explained himself. So his instincts were good, his mechanics were often flawless, but his words and music left you frustrated. Still, the legacy is a substantial one. Over time, historians will treat the elder Bush with respect.

I completely disagree on his final conclusion as to who is the proper heir to George H. W. Bush. But then, I am pretty sure George Bush 41 is pretty darn proud of 43, and sees him as his proper heir as well.