Bush Legacy Tour

ALBANY, NY - The front steps of the State Capitol building in Albany was by far our most prominent bus stop yet. According to the State Trooper that helped us get set up, we are the first bus he has ever seen drive right up to the state capitol. We are trailblazers in the sport of bus parking!  Our driver, Joel deserves a big shout out for all of his amazing parking jobs.

Our location created special security concerns so they had bomb sniffing dog inspect the bus before we got started. Once all the precautions were taken we began our event. People strolled in from local office buildings to check out the bus.  Shortly into the stop, we experienced some technical difficulties with the generator and had to close down the bus for a few minutes. The crowd waited patiently outside. Once the problem was fixed everyone came back on and continued their tours. 

A number of people who visited the bus in Albany and in other cities drew the connection of how legacies can change over time. I spoke with a man who talked about how ill-received Reagan was when he left office versus 20 years later. The phrase time heals all wounds comes to mind, but in this case it is not a good thing. He commented on the importance of establishing a President’s legacy while they are still in office so we are not doomed to repeat the failures. He felt that the legacy that Reagan now has of a great president is a fallacy and that people are forgetting about the failures of his administration. 

Ken from Albany had another take on the Bush/Reagan comparison. 

“Bush took the country in the wrong direction in most every area. The shame of the Katrina response symbolizes Bush. I never thought some future president would make Reagan look competent.”