Presidential Elections . . . and my near misses . . .

There are several states holding primary elections this week . . . one being Michigan. As I watched the news, the camera zoomed in on Detroit and I had a flashback. It was along in the Spring of 1992 and I was doing a seminar at the famous Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit, when the convention Center was overrun in a mad rush because of a surprise visit by then Presidential candidate William Jefferson Clinton. The convention center is located along the Detroit riverfront on Jefferson Ave. It was an absolute mad-house, as was the entire downtown Detroit area. While my seminar was in a banquet room apart from the convention center ball room, the noise and traffic in the hallway made it impossible to continue with my seminar, so I cut the session short and we went into the ball-room to hear the candidate make his pitch. It was my first and only time to see or hear Clinton in person, but one could sense he was loaded with charisma and certainly knew how to speak to a large crowd. I sensed that afternoon that my guy, George H. W. Bush, just might have his hands full with this character from Arkansas. As it turns out, he defeated the incumbent Bush and the entire country had its hands full with this character from Arkansas. Now, it just may be that the Nation will have its hands full with his goofy wife!!

Years later, in the summer of 2000, I spent the night in a Holiday Inn Express on Long Island, New York, on my return home. At breakfast the following morning I ran into a group of Texas Rangers who were providing security for Presidential candidate George W. Bush. I had flown into JFK Airport earlier in the week, rented a car, and drove to Wood Bridge, New Jersey, where I did a three-day seminar. Driving in New York City rush-hour traffic during a heavy rain storm was a mess, and driving over the George Washington Bridge at a snail’s pace in heavy traffic, with rain crossing above the Hudson River far below was nerve wracking. Some of my students chuckled at my tale and suggested that I ride the ferry back to Long Island since I was flying out of McArthur Airport – also known as Islip Airport. That was what put me at that Holiday Inn Express that morning at breakfast.

Four dudes coming into the room wearing inexpensive, well-worn and rumpled western-cut suits and cowboy boots tends to catch a Texas boy’s eye. As we passed through the breakfast line, I asked one of the guys where in Texas he lived and he chuckled as said, “The Austin area, how did you know?” He told me they were doing security detail work for our Governor. We sat together and enjoyed breakfast, then said our good-byes and everyone went on their way. I am not sure where our Governor spent that night, but I am quite certain it was not at the Holiday Inn Express. That is lodging for the business class.

Fortunately, W was elected to serve as our President, and was then re-elected to a second term. He had only been in office from January until September when our Nation was attacked on 9/11/2001. In my humble opinion, this good man distinguished himself during that terrible time. He was a steady hand on the helm in a tragic storm.

I also met President and Mrs. Carter at his inauguration as President on a cold, snowy morning in Washington, D. C. in1976. I was privileged to dance with Mrs. Carter at the inaugural ball at Union station that evening. I have always believed President Carter is a really good, decent man, but he certainly won’t be identified in history as having been a very good President. I have a theory about all of that and perhaps I will share that in a blog some day in the future.

I also was privileged to actually have dinner with President H. W. Bush on two separate occasions. I really admire that good man.

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