George W. Bush officially ended his second term as president of the United States this afternoon as one of the most unpopular executives in our nation's history and will now have a ton of time on his hands. He's talked about writing a book, but even if he does follow through with that, he's going to have to eventually find something else to occupy his time.
I propose Major League Baseball makes him the next commissioner of the league.
By most counts, his presidency has been a failure, but some of his flaws as president might make him a strong commissioner. He tended to oversimplify complex world issues and divide the world into two sides: sort of an "if your not with us, you're against us" ideology. Any good intentions aside, such a philosophy doesn't seem to work in a complicated world, but could be functional inside the vacuum of a professional sport that has clear rules that are cut and dry.
He'd almost definitely do a better job than Selig, would bring a no-nonsense approach to the commissioner's office and he wouldn't play favorites. Plus, even though he did not seem too informed when it came to diplomacy and global issues, the man knows his baseball and is passionate about it. He always seemed somewhat reluctant to bear the burden of so much power as president, but he would bring joy to his tasks as commissioner, which can only improve his effectiveness.
For Bush, it would give him a real chance to repair a reputation that has been seriously damaged in the eyes of the American people. He could make a real contribution to what is still referred to by some as the nation's pastime. Plus, anything that keeps him away from any sort of foreign or domestic consultant role would almost certainly be a positive development.
Leave a comment