I'm glad Mark Shields finally said it

[misanthrope]

When commenting on PBS Newshour about the death of Barbara Bush, the syndicated columnist mentioned what's been ignored in the days since the former first lady's passing. It's basically this: Barbara Bush seemed more genuine and humane in context of her predecessor. She later came off as being a bit high-handed but in comparison to Nancy Reagan and the 40th POTUS' reprehensible attitude toward the AIDS crisis then Bush looked like Clara Barton.

I can't get it to earmark at the 10:14 mark so just go there.

=614s

[UTUSN]

1. They were just 2 Repukes, horrible Repukes, tia

[justhanginon]

2. It seems to me that republicans are born with a nastiness gene.

With most of the republicans I have dealt with in my life, either in business or personally, there seems to be an undercurrent of nastiness buried under the surface. Sometimes it is closer to the surface than others but as you get to know them, at least to me, it seems to be lurking there.

[Ohiogal]

4. I agree with you 100%

I have also found this to be true.

[Demit]

3. A bit high-handed?

WTF does that even mean? You think she was misunderstood?

Nixon had the best assessment of her: "Now there's a woman who knows how to hate."

She was genuine in that, all right.

[misanthrope]

5. Interesting you chose "misunderstood"

Because that could be applied in numerous ways, either underestimating or overestimating any aspect of someone's personality.

Do you not realize this essentially a comment on Nancy Reagan far more than Barbara Bush?

[Demit]

6. I thought it was about Mark Shields' comment about Barbara Bush.

And what she "came off as being." When someone uses that formation, it's usually to imply that whatever a person seems to be, deep down they really aren't.

If the real focus of his comment (or your post?) was Nancy Reagan, no, I didn't realize that.

[misanthrope]

7. Mark Shields' comment subtly implied the Reagans were heartless

I couldn't agree more strongly with such a sentiment.

The conjoined point would be that Barbara Bush initially "came off as being" more genuine and caring early on in the Bush 41 era solely by contrast with a woman like Nancy Reagan. As time passed, the Reagan experience faded and Babs had more time to let her own words paint a more full picture of her, the public's view of her changed with it.

Using the phrase "a bit high-handed" is solely a modicum of grace through understatement.

There's all the subtext.