If you find yourself surprisingly sad about the passing of a former first lady and a bit nostalgic about her distinctive helmet of white hair and fake pearls, you are in good company. Many of us are more than a little teary-eyed about the death of a woman married for over seven decades who scolded her kids for bragging (back in the Dark Ages when humility was a virtue) and devoted her entire adult life to her family and public service. It is not simply the loss of a person, but also the loss of a code of conduct for public officials that may account for the bipartisan outpouring of admiration and affection we now see.
Frankly, her death during the Trump era — during the presidency of a man who is the antithesis of George H.W. Bush — reminds us of our own shabby political culture that we have come to believe is inevitable and normal.
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