How Presidents Pass the Torch

The torch passes on election day; the power follows in January. But in between comes a personal transaction, like the one that just took place at the White House. It’s not simply ego that has a way of fouling up this moment. Both parties have an eye on the history books, as the outgoing President airbrushes the epilogue, and the arriving one prepares the prologue.

By historical standards, George W. Bush and Barack Obama were remarkably civil in their Oval Office summit. They had never engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Despite the loathing for Bush that animates many in his party, Obama ran less against the man than his record. Bush, apparently in an undisclosed location throughout Campaign 2008, seldom had a bad word to say about Obama, beyond privately dismissing him as a naive lefty. He called Obama’s victory a “triumph of the American story, a testament to hard work, optimism and faith in the enduring promise of our nation.” Obama’s team has been quick to praise the Administration for its commitment to continuity at a moment when enemies crouch and markets quiver.

This civility distinguishes Bush and Obama from many past rivals turned fraternity brothers sharing the secret handshake. Bush takes such rituals seriously, and he had tagged Obama long ago, during White House rush. When freshman Senators visited for breakfast in 2005, Obama wrote in 2006, Bush sought him out to offer some advice. “You’ve got a bright future. Very bright,” the President said. “But I’ve been in this town awhile, and let me tell you, it can be tough.” When your star rises fast, people will come after you from all sides, he warned. “So watch yourself.”

Three years and 130 million votes later, there is much to talk about–not just plans and protocol but personal challenges: How’s the food? Where’s the gym? How do you raise two daughters under bright lights, stay fit and strong and sane while managing a job that can eat you alive? This too is a presidential tradition. Outgoing President James Buchanan advised Abe Lincoln that water from the right-hand well was better than from the left, and he shared the secrets of the pantry. During John F. Kennedy’s visit the day before his Inauguration, Dwight Eisenhower demonstrated the panic button, instantly summoning an evacuation helicopter to the White House lawn. Fatefully, Lyndon Johnson gave Richard Nixon a tour of the hidden tape recorders.

There is a rich history of mischief and malice in the interregnum, particularly during the last transfer of power to take place in the middle of a fiscal firestorm. In 1932 it didn’t help that the two men neither liked nor trusted each other: Herbert Hoover called Franklin Roosevelt a “chameleon on plaid,” while F.D.R. preferred the image of Hoover as a “fat, timid capon.” Since Inauguration Day was not until March 1933, there was an urgent need for action, but Hoover’s efforts to reach out to Roosevelt in the name of bipartisan cooperation were dismissed by critics as an attempt to annul the election and obstruct the New Deal. Hoover called Roosevelt a “madman” for digging in his heels on economics and refusing to compromise, which guaranteed that Roosevelt took the oath of office in an atmosphere of crisis.

It would be 20 years before the Democrats had to hand power back, and this didn’t go much better. After the 1952 election, Harry Truman wrote in his diary that Eisenhower was being coy about cooperation: “Ike and his advisers are afraid of some kind of trick. There are no tricks … All I want to do is to make an orderly turnover.” When it was Eisenhower’s turn, he was determined to handle things better, and to their mutual surprise, he and Kennedy impressed each other when they met at the White House. The young President later found himself relying on Eisenhower for both private guidance and, after the Bay of Pigs fiasco, some public cover.

And that’s another important ritual. Former Presidents tend to rise to the occasion when the call comes from the Oval Office, even if the caller is an adversary. It is an act of patriotism and perhaps pity by men who, knowing what the job entails, are uniquely positioned to help. Obama will take office with at least this advantage: he will have four predecessors with very different skill sets to call on. It’s by no means certain who would be the most useful, since the history of these ex-Presidents is full of plot twists. There’s Jimmy Carter, the acclaimed humanitarian who has seemed at times to delight in tormenting his successors; Bill Clinton, who has shown he can be a mighty ally or a massive headache; and two men named Bush, who, if their own histories are any guide, might offer the 44th President very different advice, given the chance.