Barbara Bush birthday: Most popular ex-first lady?
Today is Barbara Bush鈥檚 birthday. It鈥檚 a milestone birthday too 鈥� 鈥渢he big nine oh,鈥� as her husband George would probably put it.
There鈥檚 going to be a blow-out celebration at the Bush clan retreat in Kennebunkport, Maine, of course, but it鈥檚 not just for Bush family members. Mrs. Bush is using the occasion to raise money for her signature issue, literacy. Over the years the has raised more than $40 million to promote reading among young children and parents whose literacy could use a boost.
As part of this birthday charity effort Mrs. Bush is lending her name to a from the X Prize organization and Dollar General Literacy Foundation. This pot of money is a reward meant to prod software developers to create mobile apps to help improve adult reading skills.
That鈥檚 why it costs $5,000 for a single ticket to tonight鈥檚 Barbara Bush dinner. Or, if you鈥檇 rather give $100,000 or more, you can get six tickets to the dinner, two tickets to a private reception, and photo opportunity at the actual Bush home on Walker鈥檚 Point, six invitations to a second, casual meal, and a bunch of other stuff. Oh, and a round of golf on the day of the party, according to a last month.
There won鈥檛 be any jumping out of airplanes, however. That鈥檚 what ex-President George H.W. Bush did to celebrate his 90th, but his wife has no interest in that, reported her granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager
And nobody pushes Barbara Bush into doing something she鈥檚 not interested in. To the contrary 鈥� she鈥檚 the Bush clan enforcer, as well as its matriarch.
How鈥檇 she earn the 鈥渆nforcer鈥� designation? 鈥淚f you do something bad, I point it out to you,鈥� she told Ms. Hager.
The American people have long approved of this kind of bluntness. Most first ladies are well-liked, according to polls, but Barbara Bush has a good claim on the title of most-popular modern presidential spouse.
Last year, for instance, she tied with Hillary Clinton in for the title of 鈥淢ost Admired First Lady of the last 25 Years鈥�. Bush and Mrs. Clinton were both the choice of 27 percent of respondents.
And a 2014 Gallup poll showed her as a clear favorite. Seventy-seven percent of Americans had a favorable view of her, and only 10 percent had an unfavorable view, for a net rating of 67 percent. In this survey Hillary Clinton had a 56 to 37 split, for a net rating of 19, and daughter-in-law Laura Bush had a 73 to 15, for a net of 58.
Perhaps this proves that it鈥檚 not that bad for a US public figure to be acerbic. In Time Magazine, Mrs. Bush this week shares the best political advice she鈥檚 ever received.
鈥淏e yourself. Well, maybe somebody a little nicer,鈥� Michael Duffy.
