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A Touchy Topic: Boomer in Chief Hits the Big 6-0
New York Times ^ | July 6, 2006 | SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

Posted on 07/06/2006 8:56:50 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative

Let us now peek into the psyche of America's most powerful baby boomer, George W. Bush.

He is not given to self-analysis — "George is not an overly introspective person," his wife, Laura, once said with dry understatement — but Mr. Bush turns 60 on Thursday, and like most other men hitting that milestone, he just cannot seem to get the thought off his mind.

Here is the president in June at a community college in Omaha, trying to convince himself that turning 60 is no big deal: "I'm not supposed to talk about myself, but in a month I'm turning 60. For you youngsters, I want to tell you something. When I was your age, I thought 60 was really old. It's all in your mind. It's not that old, it really isn't."

And here is Mr. Bush in the Rose Garden a few weeks ago, having just returned from a surprise trip to Baghdad, when asked how he was feeling: "I'm doing all right. A little jet-lagged, as I'm sure you can imagine — nearly 60."

Could it be that Mr. Bush, with his enviably low heart rate and penchant for two-hour mountain bike rides that exhaust Secret Service agents half his age, is worried about getting old? Is that why the president, so mindful of proper attire that he demands a coat and tie in the Oval Office even on weekends, wore a decidedly youthful red-and-white Hawaiian shirt to his two-days-early birthday dinner in the East Room of the White House Tuesday night?

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1946; babyboomer; bush

1 posted on 07/06/2006 8:56:54 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
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To: West Coast Conservative
:- |
Those people at the NYT can write a column about anything.
2 posted on 07/06/2006 9:03:50 AM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
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To: Clara Lou

:-0

They can write a gag-me column about absolutely anything GWB does.

Is their favorite humanoid BillyJeff introspective? If he is, I hope he gets a glimpse of the rot inside.


3 posted on 07/06/2006 9:11:41 AM PDT by JustaCowgirl (Liberals aren't having so much fun now that the rabbit has the gun. --Ann Coulter)
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To: West Coast Conservative

My wife turned 40 in November. I turned 40 last week. We both saw it as something to celebrate. After all, not everyone makes it to 40.

In general, I find that conservatives tend not to be bothered by aging. The things that are important to conservatives--God, truth, morality--are eternal. Our bodies grow old, and that's a problem to deal with, but the important things don't change.

I had an aunt who was diagnosed with terminal cancer man years ago. She was a conservative, and one of the happiest and caring people I've ever met. The cancer didn't change her fundamental personality. She took her cancer in stride, and still felt it was her responsibility to do good for those around her for as long as she could. She lived for three years after diagnosis with a cheerful disposition the whole time.

These urbane liberal types who worship themselves will often feel very distressed by the passing years. If self in this realm is all one has, then death means a complete annihiliation of all that is important. They hate the reminders that death is getting closer.

I doubt President Bush is bothered by turning 60. His highest value is serving God, not trying to have an endless youth.



4 posted on 07/06/2006 9:25:07 AM PDT by Our man in washington
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To: West Coast Conservative

You have to appreciate the fact that in the absence of printing real, objective news, the NYT can promote boorish banality at the drop of a hat if they think it makes Bush look stupid.

At least the memory of spending Christmas, 1968, in Cambodia isn't seared . . . . SEARED into his memory.

Perhaps the NYT should focus some of their overpaid, banal wordsmiths to spend a little more time on that!!!


5 posted on 07/06/2006 9:54:12 AM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: Our man in washington
I doubt President Bush is bothered by turning 60. His highest value is serving God, not trying to have an endless youth.

I think that, more than anything else, he's just shocked that he's 60. Time flies, I suppose more so when you are as busy as he is, and you just cannot believe that you've reached a certain milestone. I turned 45 in March, and I can't believe that, either (I'm still trying to get used to having a "4" in front of my age...I suppose I'll be used to it in another 5 years or so). You reach these milestones, and you think back to your youthful mental image of what someone that age is like, and you come up with your parents or grandparents...not yourself. Oh, well, I guess that's life.

6 posted on 07/06/2006 9:58:12 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
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To: Our man in washington
The things that are important to conservatives--God, truth, morality--are eternal.

that is pretty ignorant. Not all conservatives believe in religion. You would probably be surprised by the percentages of us conservatives who don't.
7 posted on 07/06/2006 10:14:16 AM PDT by Element187
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: Element187
that is pretty ignorant. Not all conservatives believe in religion.

The statement is by and large true that religion is important to conservatives. That was my experience, as I made the transition from being an unbelieving liberal to a conservative Christian. As I became more conservative, I ran into more and more observant Jews and committed Christians, both among libertarians and among conservatives. And demographic polls bear this out.

Being a conservative is to recognize that certain truths are constant, and unlike the so-called principles of Leftists, these truths do not change depending on the context, or on whose ox is gored.

Being a Christian is the result of asking why the truth is unchanging. Most conservatives are religious because they sense that moral and ethical truth come from somewhere outside us—or rather, someone outside us.

9 posted on 07/06/2006 10:49:34 AM PDT by SamuraiScot
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To: Element187

"Ignorant" is not the word I'd use. "Generalizing" is the word I'd use.

Many conservatives are atheists. However, I find that the conservatives who are atheists tend to believe in the eternal truths. They may not call it "God", but these truths still serves as a permanent anchor. Conservative atheists almost always believe in a definite right and wrong and that humans have an obligation to do right regardless of the circumstances.

I considered bringing up conservative atheists in my original post, but it would have obscured the larger point I was trying to make. Please forgive me for my generalization.


10 posted on 07/06/2006 10:51:03 AM PDT by Our man in washington
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To: Ancesthntr

I've finally gotten used to having a "4" in front of my age. Unfortunately, I just turned 51.


11 posted on 07/06/2006 10:53:05 AM PDT by linda_22003
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To: Clara Lou
Those people at the NYT can write a column about anything.

Except Iraqi WMDs, or the truth about Islam... or anything else that doesn't fit their supremely narrow worldview.

12 posted on 07/06/2006 11:55:53 AM PDT by thoughtomator (Famous last words: "what does Ibtz mean?")
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To: linda_22003

It doesn't seem so bad now, does it?


13 posted on 07/06/2006 11:56:18 AM PDT by thoughtomator (Famous last words: "what does Ibtz mean?")
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To: thoughtomator

Nope, and neither does 51. :)


14 posted on 07/06/2006 12:06:07 PM PDT by linda_22003
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To: linda_22003

It's a heck of a lot better than the alternative!


15 posted on 07/06/2006 12:07:36 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Famous last words: "what does Ibtz mean?")
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To: West Coast Conservative
wore a decidedly youthful red-and-white Hawaiian shirt

Is there a picture of this? :-)

16 posted on 07/06/2006 12:09:50 PM PDT by noexcuses
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To: Ancesthntr; Our man in washington
I think that, more than anything else, he's just shocked that he's 60.

The President has been joking and teasing about turning 60. The humorless Leftist media can't get it, hence articles like the one above -- which, BTW, isn't original to the NYCrimes. Last weekend, the AP released a series of quips the President has made in recent months about the prospect of turning 60, and a number of media organisations picked it up and gave it their own spin.

GWB has a dry, impish sense of humor. Here are some of the best of his quips about turning 60. I say let's laugh along with him and ignore the MSM's take:

"Security is strong at the airports. I hope they stop taking off the shoes of the elderly. I must confess, they haven't taken off my shoes lately at the airport." — Jan. 23, at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.

"I'm not running too well these days. I'm not running hardly at all. It's kind of like my knees are like tires, you know, and they're bald. I'm a mountain bike guy. And it's a fantastic experience." — also at Kansas State.

"I'm a bike guy and I like to plug in music on my iPod when I'm riding along to hopefully help me forget how old I am." — Feb. 2, in Maplewood, Minn.

"As a matter of fact, I turn 62 in 2008, which is a convenient year for me to be retiring. Old Judd is a baby boomer. I think he's seven months younger than I am." — Feb. 8, accompanied by Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., in Manchester, N.H.

"We've been promised greater benefits than the previous generation, and we're living longer. I don't know about you all, I plan on just kind of stretching it out a little bit." — March 24, at a fundraiser for Rep. Mike Sodrel, R-Ind., in Indianapolis.

"I used to think 60 was old, didn't you? ... Now I think it's young, don't you?" — May 10, during a panel discussion on the Medicare prescription drug benefit in Orlando, Fla.

"Mr. Governor, thank you and Sally for coming. You're kind to take time out of your schedule to say hello to the old president. Getting older by the minute, by the way. I'm not supposed to talk about myself, but in a month, I'm turning 60. For you youngsters, I want to tell you something. When I was your age, I thought 60 was really old. It's all in your mind. It's not that old, it really isn't." — June 7, in Omaha, Neb.


17 posted on 07/06/2006 12:17:09 PM PDT by Wolfstar (Where you go with me, heaven will always be.)
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To: Our man in washington
"Ignorant" is not the word I'd use. "Generalizing" is the word I'd use. Many conservatives are atheists. However, I find that the conservatives who are atheists tend to believe in the eternal truths. They may not call it "God", but these truths still serves as a permanent anchor. Conservative atheists almost always believe in a definite right and wrong and that humans have an obligation to do right regardless of the circumstances. I considered bringing up conservative atheists in my original post, but it would have obscured the larger point I was trying to make. Please forgive me for my generalization.

I would disagree... I tend to just believe in the rule of law and our constitution and feel it should be upheld at all costs... No religious underscoring at all.

I'm a conservative because lefties do nothing but destroy nations... cuba, venezuela, spain, france, north korea ring a bell?
18 posted on 07/07/2006 6:37:50 AM PDT by Element187
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