Welcome to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who is visiting America. News photos showed her touring Jamestown, Virginia on it's 400th anniversay. This is her 5th visit to our country. During her long reign she has met ten presidents and outlasted many prime ministers.
We rejected the monarchy here centuries ago, but seem to embrace this monarch. Perhaps we do the same thing with our former presidents. During their tenure all have detractors. Some are more popular than other. All seem to have increased popularity in their retirement. Most are buried as heroes. Only Mr. Nixon seemed to have a different outcome. I have to admit I never particularly liked Mr. Nixon, but am softening my response to him now to give him more credit.
Perhaps with the Queen it is the hat that helps. How could you not have mercy on a lady who must wear those ridiculous hats? I will make an exception saying I liked yesterday's hat. I would never wear it, but the color was flattering. Does she wear a hat in place of a crown? Does the hat help to identify her in a crowd? Did she make a bad decision in her youth awarding a lifetime contract to a milliner?
We discarded the hat in the Kennedy administration. Actually, men discarded the hat then. Jackie had us copying her pill box hats. I had one. People used to tell me I looked like her when I was sixteen. It was the hair. I also had size 10 shoes like her and was about the same build. I don't look like her anymore, but she doesn't either.
I digress. I think we might try bringing back the hat for our presidents. Don't you picture the beloved Abe Lincoln in a top hat? Might G.W.'s popularity increase if he wore one? I think he could pull it off. I think even Mr. Nixon might have a better legacy if we pictured him in a top hat. Let's just agree not to award a lifetime millinary contract to anyone. They might want to change their mind.
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