Gallup’s annual “Most Admired” poll can be fun to read, and yes, it’s smart to keep in mind that no poll can accurately reflect the sentiments of all Americans. Usually, there is agreement, or some kind of understanding, about why the most admired man and woman were chosen. But most can count on being disappointed, surprised, befuddled, or entertained as they make their way down the list. This year’s list is no exception.
It was great to see former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama take first place as this year’s ”most admired” man and woman. It’s Barack’s 11th year in a row in first place and Michelle’s first time. Given all they have done and continue to do for this country, I’m not alone in saying they deserve the titles.
But now, moving down the list...
Like the majority of Americans and folks worldwide, I cringed upon seeing Donald Trump’s name in second place as “most admired” man. However, it seems that the norm for this particular Gallup poll leads to the sitting president—even a lying, cheating, sexually abusive, egotistical, tax-evading, self-serving illegitimate snake of a president—taking the number one position. Trump didn’t nab it, and the thought of him huffing and puffing about coming in second (and second to Barack Obama no less) makes Trump’s Gallup poll ranking a little more palatable, even if it is a WTF.
But, what really shocked and disgusted me was seeing former president George W. Bush come in third place as “most admired” man. This is a man who started an unnecessary war that caused the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, including children and babies—in the most bloody and horrific ways. The Iraq War also cost the lives of nearly 5,000 of our American troops.
Bush used the 2001 September 11th terroristattack that killed nearly 3,000 Americans as an indirect excuse to invade Iraq—a country later proven to have no involvement in the 9/11 tragedy. To help promote his war, Bush claimed Iraq had “weapons of mass destruction,“ also proven to be a lie. As it turns out, it was America that had the greatest weapons of mass destruction—called “the Bush Administration.” The 43rd U.S. president called for a “war on terror,” and instead of wiping out terror, he created more terrorists, some of whom watched their children and families blown up right before their eyes, via what later became known as “Bush’s War.”Meanwhile, former vice president Dick Cheney, a big culprit of the war, reportedly profited from the war, through Halliburton.
George W. Bush also helped drive the economy into the ground. The Great Recession under Bush’s watch was compared to the devastating Great Depression that started in the 1920s. Bush was accused of almost breaking the country and it took years to recover—which is exactly what his successor President Barack Obama had to do in order to get America back on its feetand regain some of the respect and trust of other countries crushed by Bush.
So why is George W. Bush even on the “most admired” list? Could it be because many Americans today like to say they would gladly take “W” over Trump? That’s basically saying we’d take the worst of our past living presidents over Trump, but would we really? We’re talking about someone who is a global mass murderer—someone who still can’t go to some countries without fear of being arrested for war crimes. And yes, George W. Bush lost his father, former president George H.W. Bush this year, and gave his father a stunning and beautiful eulogy, which gave folks a new warm feeling about a cold-hearted warmonger. But should warm fuzzies take Bush off the hook for crimes against humanity, which he ultimately committed?
If George W. Bush can rate third on Gallup’s “most admired” list, and Trump can rate second, rather than both of them ranking much further down on the list—or not at all—then either the poll is fucked up or this country is fucked up. And today, Monty, I think due to the state of the country, I have to choose Door #1 and Door #2.
That being said, the Obamas still deserve to be ranked as the “most admired”—on any poll.