Dinner with the President
The state dining room in the White House. Let’s have dinner with a few of the past Presidents.
We have a Presidential election one week from today, Steven Spielberg is about to release a new movie about President Lincoln, and, honestly, it feels as if we’ve been in the midst of presidential campaigning for almost two years…maybe almost four years.
So, I’ve been thinking about which former President(s) I would most like to have dinner with…and there are several. From the early days, Thomas Jefferson–an intellectual with deep ties to the land, a leading thinker in the creation and implementation of many of the ideas and principles that still guide this country. From a century ago, well it’s got to be Teddy Roosevelt–crazy warrior AND conservationist, an irresistible combination. From more recently, Truman–who had to fill some very big shoes and make a very difficult decision in the early days of his presidency; Eisenhower, because I’d like to ask him about the difference between leading an army and leading a nation, plus get his take on the whole McCarthy debacle; and Johnson, who led the country through some of the most dramatic social policy changes our country has ever seen.
Back at you, now: leave the current President out of it and tell me which former President(s) you would most like to talk with over a long, leisurely dinner…and why. Here’s a link to the White House website with information about each of our Presidents.
Tags: harry truman, Lincoln movie, lyndon johnson, presidential elections, theodore roosevelt, thomas jefferson, u.s. presidents
Interesting question, Ellen.
Often when I get together with friends and we have a casual conversation about such matters, the question comes up of whom in the entire world you most like to have dinner with. For me, the answer is always the same. The two people in public life anywhere on the planet whom I would most like to invite to my place for dinner are Bill & Hillary. I just think they are both enormously interesting and I would love to see what a casual, non-political dinner conversation with the two of them would consist of.
Once Hillary retires from public life, I will see if I can make it happen.