Do you think the other Presidents will have such big funerals when they die?

[Dan Murphy]

So much of what I have seen the past few days brought back memories of President Kennedy over 40 years ago. The sounds, the dignity, pageantry, all so proper, all so deserved for that office, the highest in the land.

Eisenhower and Johnson were similar, but not quite as so well loved like Reagan was, IMO.

 

[Patch'sD]

Nixon being a Quaker, his family requested a simple funeral. From what I heard today Harry Truman requested a State Funeral but His wife changed the plans after his death. I have tape of the Kennedy Funeral’s made from a CBS show in 1988 on the 25th Anniversary of his death. I remember both Johnson’s and Eisenhower’s funerals. I also remember Hubert Humphery lying in state in the Rotunda. A Vice President and Senator. I believe that the remaining living Presidents with exception of Jimmy Carter will opt for State Funerals. Carter was always humble and a State Funeral would go against they way he lived is life.

 

[WDWLVR]

My response on Nixon was not so much that he couldn't have it but more didn't want it. I assumed it was because of how he left office, but if it is more from his Quaker beliefs than so be it.

Personally I like all the pageantry. I barely remember Kennedy's (I was in 1st grade), but what I do remember is that the nation was under so much grief because it was so sudden. While there is grief with Reagan's passing I think there is also some relief and acceptance too. After all for all but his closest friends and family he has been "gone" for almost 10 years.

 

[Aristocath]

Nixon specifically did not want a State funeral in Washington because he felt he was never welcomed there. So sad that Watergate tarnished what was otherwise a pretty good presidency. ( Give me a little credit, I am a Democrat compelmenting a Republican)

And I think when Clinton dies, we will see a similar response to this week with Reagan. So many people seem to forget how during Reagan's second term in office, his approval rating was ( if I remember correctly) just one point above Nixon's rating. The Iran-Contra thing was huge- they almost impeached him- and that was barely mentioned in the massive news coverage this week.

I, for one, have a great deal of respect for all our former Presidents. Most of them have left office and have done more to benefit this world. They all deserve the pomp and circumstance that was given to Mr. Reagan this week.

 

[JoenAdamnErinnSam]

I have done alot of reading this week,and it is the truth that Nixon did not want to go back to have his funeral in Washington,as he did not feel welcome there,and the only other president who did not wish a state funeral was Truman whose wife was not well enough to make this trip to Washington.Regardless of their history or presidency, they all are eligible and deserving of this honor. I really think it's wonderful that we have the opportunity at this moment in history, to reflect on what it means to be an American, and to be very grateful for all those who have and continue to fight for our freedom. God Bless America.

 

[Mary Ellen]

Quakers all have very simple funerals. It would have been out of line for a fancy funeral, no matter what.

 

[DopeyRN]

Yep..I thought I heard them say the president plans the service after leaving office.

 

[N.Bailey]

Originally posted by Aristocath
And I think when Clinton dies, we will see a similar response to this week with Reagan. So many people seem to forget how during Reagan's second term in office, his approval rating was ( if I remember correctly) just one point above Nixon's rating. The Iran-Contra thing was huge- they almost impeached him- and that was barely mentioned in the massive news coverage this week.

I too believe we'll see this type of out pouring when President Clinton passes on, but I do beg to differ with you when you say that his approval rating was a point above Nixon's when he left office.

According to Fox News, President Reagan left office with an approval rating of 63%, which is the highest recorded in history.

 

[faithinkarma]

Very interesting stats on approval ratings of recent presidents, from Gallup

http://www.gallup.com/content/Default.aspx?ci=11887

"GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president, became one of the nation's most revered public figures in recent years, a distinct turnabout from the more routinely average ratings he received while he served in office between 1981 and 1989. Reagan's job approval ratings in his first years in office were hurt by the bad economy, and the last years of his administration were marred by the negative fallout from what came to be known as the Iran-Contra affair. Nevertheless, Americans have more recently upgraded their retrospective approval of the job he did as president, and now routinely think of Reagan as one of the nation's more outstanding presidents. Reagan has appeared in the Top 10 of Gallup's annual Most Admired Man list more than 30 times, more often than any other person except evangelist Billy Graham.

Reagan's Ratings While He Was in Office

Reagan was not an extraordinarily well-regarded president during his eight years in office. He averaged a 53% job approval rating during his presidency, slightly below average for all U.S. presidents for which Gallup has recorded job approval ratings.

Reagan's ratings were higher than the averages of his three immediate predecessors -- Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon, supporting the arguments of those who contend that one of Reagan's major contributions was to restore confidence in the presidency after the battering it took in the 1970s. But the two presidents who followed Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, each had higher average ratings than Reagan, as did three earlier presidents -- Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower."

The graphs in this article are really revealing, I think.

 

[Poohbear123]

And Carter yes, but NOT for Clinton, I didn't like him. I think it depends on what they requested when taking office.

 

[LuvTigger]

pw2pp, you and I think alike! I always feel a bit concerned when so many dignitaries are together in the same place, esp. when they first brought Reagan's casket to the Capitol and most of Congress was there too. Plus, there were many international leaders there as well.

I too am fascinated by the ceremony of it all. One of the things i was wondering is how is it determined if one is "eligible" (for lack of a better term) for a state funeral? Is it something reserved only for former presidents?

While President Reagan is quite deserved of such great funeral services, and not to diminish them by any means, I think one of the reasons so many of us find this so striking and fascinating is that the nation has not seen anything like this in 30 years since Nixon's funeral was so low-key.

And Cliff Claven, thank you for sharing all of that information, I love that stuff!

 

[tinatark]

Seeing all the pagentry in DC this week has been very interesting - our family was there in February - stood in the Capitol Rotunda, walked the streets where the cortege traveled, spent a morning at the National Cathedral.

The Cathedral is HUGE! 2/10 of a mile from the Nave (lobby area) to the High Altar! In the ornate roof pitch outside, they put a Darth Vader Face... when you visit, you get a brochure showing how to see it. The main part of the Cathedral is probably 1/2 of the building - they have little chapels and burial vaults to the sides, underneath the building. The only US President interred in DC is there (Woodrow Wilson)... he is in a small enclave, in an above-ground vault, much like what it looks like RR's will be.

Did you know there is a burial vault under the capitol? The planners had hoped to re-inter George and Martha Washington there; unfortunately, they didn't consult with the family before they made the plans. Oops.

 

[olena]

Nixon's funeral wasn't like this. Then again, he resigned from office.

 

[minnieandmickey]

From what was said on the news, Nancy Reagan started planning for the President's funeral not long after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. If this is true, she did a beautiful job and represented her husband with the love, dignity, and respect he deserved. I also heard he was the one that picked out his final resting place there at the library, which faces west towards the sunset.

 

[N.Bailey]

Originally posted by faithinkarma
Very interesting stats on approval ratings of recent presidents, from Gallup

http://www.gallup.com/content/Default.aspx?ci=11887

"GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president, became one of the nation's most revered public figures in recent years, a distinct turnabout from the more routinely average ratings he received while he served in office between 1981 and 1989. Reagan's job approval ratings in his first years in office were hurt by the bad economy, and the last years of his administration were marred by the negative fallout from what came to be known as the Iran-Contra affair. Nevertheless, Americans have more recently upgraded their retrospective approval of the job he did as president, and now routinely think of Reagan as one of the nation's more outstanding presidents. Reagan has appeared in the Top 10 of Gallup's annual Most Admired Man list more than 30 times, more often than any other person except evangelist Billy Graham.

Reagan's Ratings While He Was in Office

Reagan was not an extraordinarily well-regarded president during his eight years in office. He averaged a 53% job approval rating during his presidency, slightly below average for all U.S. presidents for which Gallup has recorded job approval ratings.

Reagan's ratings were higher than the averages of his three immediate predecessors -- Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon, supporting the arguments of those who contend that one of Reagan's major contributions was to restore confidence in the presidency after the battering it took in the 1970s. But the two presidents who followed Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, each had higher average ratings than Reagan, as did three earlier presidents -- Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower."

The graphs in this article are really revealing, I think.

I couldn't find anywhere that Fox News listed those numbers they reported on the air, but here is is MSNBC saying the same.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5145917/site/newsweek/

It's written by Newsweek. I also saw a site that claimed Gallop also said 63%, but I couldn't find a link to Gallop for that, or I'd have posted that as well. It's not great shock to anyone that his figures have risen since that time though, but again, they too have gone up.

Reagan, then, should have been as divisive a politician as Bill Clinton or George W. Bush—a man about whom the nation was closely and bitterly split. And while many people were consistently critical of Reagan, he still left office with a 63 percent approval rating. The roots of our own age's attack politics and ideological divisions lie in the Reagan years, yet the man himself seemed to dwell just above the arena, escaping widespread political enmity.

CBS also did a poll in Jan of 1989 and they have an 86% approval rating. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/07/opinion/polls/main621632.shtml

Note: edited because I realized how silly my initial post was.

 

[faithinkarma]

Saying he left office with a 63% approval rating does not mean that was his overall average...it simply means that was his approval rating the month he left office.

I am not disputing that Reagan's approval rating in the month that he left office was 63%. I believe the site I provided gave a detailed picture of what his average approval rating was for the entire eight years of his tenure. Obviously it was at times higher than 63% and at times lower.

 

[dmadman43]

Originally posted by N.Bailey
I too believe we'll see this type of out pouring when President Clinton passes on

I'm sure we will, too. But, it's hard to say. It depends on when he passes on. If's it's not for another 20 years, it might not be like Reagan. Afterall, Clinton really didn't do much while in office compared to Reagan and Johnson. Kennedy's, of course, was due to his sudden death. Clinton basically kept things running and didn's screw things up.

I wonder if one of the reason's Clinton hasn't submitted plans is because he's still working out the farewell tour; taking the casket to every major city in America for people to pay their respects.

 

[EltonJohn]

Originally posted by piratesmate I will be surprised if Jimmy Carter has the full deal.

I wouldn't be that surprised, however; I do believe that Mr. Southern Baptist's funeral services will be less "grand" than President Reagan's. Baptist (any type) services are usually very simple and short, and there will be plenty of Baptist hymns for President Carter!

All Presidents have the right to a state funeral, which is how it should be. Nixon, according to a former aide that helped planned his funeral, opted not to have a state funeral partly because of his Quaker background and partly because he knew that he was such a controversial figure.

Depending upon the popularity of the President the public outpouring will fluctuate.

Originally posted by pw2pp Speaking of all Presidents having State Funerals......I have to admit that my mind works overtime sometimes and while I was watching the funeral and seeing the President and all of the Former Presidents sitting there, I couldn't help but think "I hope that a terrorist doesn't attack in the National Cathedral..... can you imagine all of those State funerals?" I know, it's a crazy morbid thought.

When President Reagan's body was being transferred to his Library, and while the service was going on I kept thinking that it would be really bad timing if an earthquake started to rumble in California.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by mickeyboat
I am not at all a cynic but I am wondering how much of this is politically motivated. I wonder if it would be so big if it wasn't an election year.

Denae

Reagans funeral was planned down to the guests two weeks after he took office. I hardly think it was politically motivated.

 

[Cruise04]

I think they will all be this big - maybe not Carter but I don't know why I'm thinking that.

The thing that kept going through my mind on Friday was how weird it would be to sit there, be an ex-President, and know that this is what your funeral could be like. And to be their spouses sitting there and think that this is what they will have to go through, if they chose to do a state funeral, if their husband passes before them. It was just kind of eery. I can't imagine sitting there and actually seeing what it's going to be like when I die.