It’s Presidents Day; and many of us seem eager to dump all over the office

I don’t know what to think of the fact that Monday is a federal government holiday where we’re supposed to honor the concept of the U.S. presidency, yet most of us seem more interested in showing nothing but contempt.

OBAMA: Most hated since Clinton, or Lincoln?

That is the impression I gained during the weekend when it seemed that most people were interested in nothing more than dumping their ideological hang-ups onto the office we once used to seriously refer to as the “Leader of the Free World.”

BARACK OBAMA IS in a position these days where he is supposed to fulfill one of his constitutional obligations – picking a new member of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Yet the conservative ideologues are going on and on about how Obama has no business even thinking of trying to fill the post. The Senate’s Republican leader let it be known he’s prepared to ignore the issue – which is important because the Senate has to confirm any appointment the president tries to make.

And when Obama on Saturday said he plans to make an appointment no matter what anyone else says, there are those who put the spin on this act that Obama is the one who’s provoking a dispute with the United States Senate.

Of course, I’m sure there are those who are going to argue that the actions of former President George W. Bush came under similar contempt from his ideological opponents.

THERE ALSO ARE those who think that the image of Ronald Reagan deserves something close to deification, and are quick to lambast anyone who dares give “the Gipper” anything less than complete admiration.

REAGAN: Hating on haters?

We’re a long way from thinking of the White House occupant as someone worthy of respect. Heck, the only thing I’m sure about with regards to the 2016 presidential election cycle is that regardless of who actually wins, there are going to be some seriously peeved people in this country.

And if the cheap threats bear any truth, there are going to be many fewer residents of this country come 2017. The only real question is, “Where would they move to?”

BUSH: Fans were Obama critics

Our politically partisan nature has become so intense that we just can’t think of any of the recent occupants of the presidency as being the holders of the same post once occupied by Abraham Lincoln.

LINCOLN: One of few worth remembering

WHOM I REALIZE came under hostile rhetoric during his own lifetime, and only became worshipped so intensely because of the circumstances of his death. How long until someone someday says something should be put into writing specifying that President’s Day does not include any recognition of Barack Obama – that’s the direction we’re headed in as a society.

So I really don’t think anyone is enjoying their day off from work or school (or more likely having to work anyway while also agonizing about what to do with the kids whom they have to arrange day care for because they’re not in school) and giving any serious thoughts as to our president.

Or probably not even remembering a past presidential figure.

If anything, there’s the chance that most people are thinking that this holiday is the one that came the day after the holiday that really concerned them – Valentine’s Day.

The 'true' meaning of President's Day

OR MAYBE THEY’RE the types who will see Monday as an excuse to buy a sale-priced mattress or dresser, or maybe take advantage of loan rates from a credit union advertised in the Chicago Sun-Times as, “some of the lowest in the nation.”

If anything, that may be the true meaning of President’s Day. Unless you happen to be like me – a freelance writer whose paychecks are sent to me through the U.S. mail and are timed to arrive at the week’s beginning.

And since this is a federal holiday, there is no U.S. mail delivery on Monday. So my potential payday gets pushed back a day to Tuesday – unless the postal service gets a little slow and I have to wait a day or two longer.

Somehow, getting paid late seems like all-to-appropriate way to commemorate the presidential post.

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Honoring the President; what holiday?

Another holiday – President’s Day – has come and gone. Yet I doubt many of us noticed a thing.

Monday was supposed to be the day we paid tribute to the many men (not quite four dozen) who have served as U.S. president during our nation’s history. But I wonder how many of us worked our way through the day.

OR IF WE had the kind of government-related post where work actually shut down for the day, did we just waste it away sitting in front of a television set watching whatever mindless junk happened to be on for our viewing?

Personally, about the most impact the day had upon me was the fact that there was no mail delivery. Not that I was expecting anything of significance. Although I did notice one of my neighbors got a package delivery; courtesy of United Parcel Service.

I don’t think many of us gave a thought to those people who have served our nation with the ultimate ego-boost of a political position – that of president of the United States.

As in the guy who in theory is in charge of the country (and often is referred to as “the most powerful man in the world”), but whom we often see can easily be thwarted by Congress and the Supreme Court.

PERSONALLY, I WOULDN’T have the ambition to run for president – I’d feel like I had to make too many ideological concessions to have any chance of getting a significant number of votes.

Plus I’d have to kiss way too many behinds to come up with the kind of campaign cash it takes to run a credible electoral effort. Personally, I don’t see the point of running for political office if one is only capable of taking 1 percent or so of the vote.

So what should we think of the men who have made the effort to be the chief executive of U.S. government? It’s a thankless job, and one that probably draws way too much hostility and abuse from the opposition.

And there’s always opposition! Someone is always going to think you are wrong. And someone is always going to think that the world would be better off without you in it – even if they don’t have the nerve or intelligence to carry out such insane thoughts!

PERHAPS THE CONCEPT of a President’s Day (instead of the old-fashioned notion of celebrating the birth of George Washington – the first president) isn’t the most absurd holiday we offer.

It’s more practical than trying to honor all 43 men who have held the office (and you just know some people would go out of their way to ignore the holidays of those presidents they want to disrespect.

It reminds me of an old “The West Wing” episode where actress Allison Janney’s “C.J. Cregg” character was appalled to learn of a religious group that devoted a day to its members praying for her soul – because they were convinced that as a Democrat who sided with liberal causes, she was going to Hell.

Most people, however, aren’t willing to put that much thought into the day. In fact, I really believe most people let Monday pass by without any thought.

IT WAS A day for retailers to hold weekend-long sales – the one that caught my attention was held by the Guitar Center chain. Fifteen percent off selected items, and it was possible to get a Stratocaster make of guitar for $99.

No, I didn’t go out and buy a discount guitar on Monday. Or a new mattress or sofa or even a car (the latter of which I could use these days). I didn’t give in to commercialism on this day where we’re supposed to honor the concept of our government – although not as intensely as we do on Independence or Memorial days.

Although I have to admit what I actually did do during the morning hours isn’t something I’m proud of – I watched the one-millionth (or so it seems like) airing of the Sandra Bullock film “Miss Congeniality,” a film I'd never seen before, where the attractive actress has to play the part of a frumpy FBI agent who has to disguise herself as a beauty queen to undermine a plot to disrupt the “Miss United States” pageant.

So what’s my punishment for wasting away a federal holiday morning – perhaps I should have to sit through several hours of tapes of George W. Bush’s incomprehensible presidential rhetoric without actor Will Ferrell to translate?

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