One of the most notorious murder cases in the early decades of the 20th century was the "thrill killing" of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks by Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold. When it came to trial, the two defendants were represented by noted defense attorney Clarence Darrow, and it was one of several cases that were referred to as the "Trial of the Century." Since Richard Loeb was widely regarded as the more dominant of the two killers, contemporary reports generally referred to it as the "Loeb-Leopold Case."
Both men were sentenced to life in prison, but Loeb had the misfortune to be killed by a fellow prisoner just a few years into his sentence. Henceforward, the case came to be called the "Leopold-Loeb" case.
I was thinking of this recently and one thing led to another, and well, I started wondering how the Georges Bush might be treated by history. I don't like to make predictions, but here's an exception: I think that history will end up calling them Bush Senior and Bush Junior.
The distinction between "H.W." and "W." just doesn't do enough to differentiate them. Nor, for that matter does using the numbers 41 and 43.
I'm not sure how it will happen. Perhaps the media will start the habit once Junior leaves office, or perhaps some author more sympathetic to Senior will write a book using that nomenclature. But happen it will.
Either that or they'll go down as the Good Bush and the Bad Bush.
Posted by jt at January 28, 2007 05:46 PM