We all have to come to terms with it: President Obama’s second term is over. As we bid farewell to the 44th President, many are beginning to wonder what the next chapter for Barack Obama will be. Throughout history, various Presidents decided to fully embrace their newfound free time by pursuing unconventional and surprising hobbies. Whether Obama will follow in their footsteps remains unknown, but looking back at post-presidential hobbies could be telling.
George Bush
Behind Barack Obama, the most recent post-presidency is George W. Bush. As the 43rd President of the United States, George Bush was sworn in shortly before the War on Terror begun. Nonetheless, his two terms were less-than-relaxing – which may be the reason why he picked up the therapeutic art of painting. In an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, Bush revealed that painting has changed his life for the better. The former president enjoys painting dogs, foreign leaders, and most shockingly, G-rated self-portraits in the bath. Upon seeing paintings George Bush created, junior Kendall Hart was shocked: “Wow, they’re actually pretty good! Good for him.” Despite the mockery of his newfound passion, George Bush has run with it, and most recently announced that he will be releasing a book of portraits of military members/veterans that he has come to know upon leaving office. However, Bush was not always so open about his painting hobby. Up until recently, no one but close family and friends knew about Bush’s passion for art. It was not until 2012 that it was exposed to the world by a Romanian hacker that obtained the photos through George Bush’s sister’s email.
Bill Clinton
During his time in office, Bill Clinton, aka “Bubba,” was well known for his saxophone skills. You do not have to look far and wide on the internet to find GIFs of the former President playing Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” on the Arsenio Hall Show. In addition to being the unofficial face of Jazz music, Clinton has also been known to enjoy solving a mean crossword puzzle. When he is not saving the world through the Clinton Global Initiative, he is submitting clues to the New York Times crosswords and appearing on “Wordplay.” Now, the real question is: when will he make his appearance on The Wheel of Fortune?
Dwight D. Eisenhower
From four-star general to U.S. President to…cattle breeder? This U.S. President fully embraced his post-presidency by purchasing 189 acres of land in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. On his farm, he spent 15 relaxing years raising a herd of 100 cattle, winning Grand Championships and the International Livestock Competition. However, he did not completely retreat from the political life, as he supported various congressional campaigns and spoke at the 1964 RNC. In 1967, the Eisenhowers donated their cattle farm to the National Park Service.
As John Adams once said, “It is marvelous how political plants grow in the shade. Continual daylight and sunshine show our faults and record them.” Perhaps retirement is the key to political growth.