Monday, April 19, 2010

He's a Mensch!

Have you seen this interview that President Bill Clinton gave to Jenna Bush Hager?

It was worth watching for the four minutes that it lasted. Besides the novelty of watching a Bush interview a Clinton, it was sweet to see their interactions. No doubt that Clinton has done some wonderful humanitarian work in the years since his presidency ended. But my favorite moment of this interview was when Hager asked him how he thought he would feel when Chelsea walks down the aisle.

The man paused and as his thoughts drifted toward Chelsea and her upcoming wedding day, his face changed from presidential to paternal, and the man was a downright sweetheart.

I think it is helpful to remember that the people who we most often know as talking heads delivering carefully scripted sound-bytes are also capable of thoughtfulness and candor--their human emotions run as deeply as our own!

3 comments:

Dana Cheryl said...

That truly was a beautiful moment! There is no doubt how much he loves his daughter. Even in the midst of the scandals his love for her was evident.

I try to always keep in mind that the people on TV are in fact people. Sometimes I disagree, strongly disagree even but I always want to be respectful to everyone.

Dana Cheryl said...

That truly was a beautiful moment! There is no doubt how much he loves his daughter. Even in the midst of the scandals his love for her was evident.

I try to always keep in mind that the people on TV are in fact people. Sometimes I disagree, strongly disagree even but I always want to be respectful to everyone.

J said...

It's also sometimes interesting for me to think about this very small club that both President Clinton and Mrs. Hager belong to. They have both lived under the scrutiny of the White House. The scrutiny of the President, of course, is much more invasive and constant than that of the daughters of the President, especially when the President and his wife try to shield their children, as they all do. But having lived through that, they have a common bond that not many people in the world share. I think that this bond allows them to put aside politics quite often.

Not your point, I know...and I liked your point...but the fact that they were both once residents of that iconic house came to mind with the interview.