In a state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic president since Jimmy Carter, at a school of conservative cowboys and cowgirls, while signs reading ‘No Socialized Medicine’ were waved outside an on-campus auditorium, Presidents Barack Obama and George H. W. Bush stood united and called Aggies and Americans alike to join together for a nonpartisan society of community service.
‘The ‘R’ or ‘D’ next to your name is irrelevant when other nations need help,’ Obama said.’
‘While you might not always know it by watching the cable news shows, I think we stand at one of those moments.’
Obama visited Texas A&M University on Friday and, in a hushed auditorium, honored Bush for his participation in stimulating community involvement.
Bush, a student-favorite and permanent fixture at A&M, is the only reason Obama was not eaten alive by the Aggies.’
Had Bush not been there, Obama’s uphill struggle to reach conservative college students would have become a Sisyphean struggle; like the king in Greek mythology, even if Obama were able to get the boulder to the top of the hill, he would have watched it roll right back to the ground and would have had to start over.
Instead, with Bush’s blessing, Obama may have actually done some good.
Obama said the elder Bush demonstrated an ideal life of service; Bush praised the current commander in chief, beginning with a story of Obama’s tremendous efforts during Hurricane Katrina, as a then-senator from Illinois, when he came to Houston to assist evacuees, Jeannie Kever said in an Oct. 17 Houston Chronicle article.
‘If anyone here thinks our government has all the solutions, President Bush and I will be the first to tell you you’ll be sorely disappointed,’ Obama said.’
‘In the end, the need for action always exceeds the limits of government. While there’s plenty government can do’hellip; there’s a lot government shouldn’t do. That’s where service comes in.’
Not many A&M students were in attendance, however. Most of them were outside, protesting.
‘ Those in attendance were mostly middle-aged, and many were established members of various anti-Obama and ‘tea party’ protest groups.
Events director for the A&M student Republican group John Kettler helped organize the protest group.
‘By exercising our First Amendment rights in this way, we felt we would be able to communicate our disagreement in an effective and respectful way,’ Kettler said.
A&M will forever be a conservative school, so protesting was expected. Bush’s introduction of Obama appeased the crowd a bit, and Obama returned the favor.
‘ Opinions were voiced. Objections were heard. Overall, however, the scene was calm and composed. The protesters succeeded in speaking their thoughts while remaining respectful, and the former and current presidents succeeded in organizing an event and holding it peacefully.
The mood was dampened more by the A&M football team losing to Kansas State than the president’s controversial visit.
I called my sister, Emily, an A&M alumna, to ask her what she thought of Obama’s visit to Aggieland. She was at dinner, so she kept it short and sweet, but her sentiments reflected mine exactly.
‘I don’t know much about it, truthfully. But shorthand, I think it was really ballsy. And I hope A&M students showed him respect.’
