It's not a crime to make fun of American Presidents, serving or former. We don't recognize lèse-majesté as an offense, and not just because whoever's getting the White House junk mail marked "Occupant" isn't a king. We vote 'em in, we vote 'em out, and in between, we have questions. We make comments. Oh, do we make comments.
You'll sometimes hear, "It wasn't like that in the old days! Presidents got respect!" Oh yeah? Here's a line from an historical op-ed; see if you can guess the President: "...mark the progressive steps which have led the way to the present public evils that afflict your country...the unerring voice of posterity will not fail to render the just sentence of condemnation on the man who has entailed his country deep and incurable public evil."
Was it from a National Review piece criticizing Barack Obama? An anti-reformist griping about Theodore Roosevelt? Hippies unhappy with Lyndon Johnson? A Jacksonian inveighing against an incumbent?
Nope. The President being lambasted is a Virginia farmer, one George Washington, well into his second term. Father of his country -- and target of no little criticism.
So don't come to me complaining that ol' Joe Biden can't get a break from the Right or his own far Left; don't bewail that the Press is too hard on Donald Trump. It's par for the course. It always has been. The guy out front takes the blame. It comes with the job.
Mockery and derision of hired help in public office is a feature, not a bug.
ReplyDeleteBasically a continuation of the supposed Roman tradition of a slave whispering "thou are mortal" in the ear of someone receiving public acclaim.
As part of my High School American History class, we read some of the commentary directed at Presidents from John Adams through Grant. Some of it makes todays slurs and insults look tame by comparison.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, mockery and derision of the elected class is a time honored tradition.
Not just mockery and derision, but even serious questioning of their plans, policies and motives.
ReplyDeleteIt's the opposite of Caesarism, and we've been doing it since 1789.