George W. Bush will be viewed much more favorably in 50 years than he is right now, much like Harry Truman. It's been all-too-fashionable to bash him while not giving him credit for what he accomplished.
Kind of like how Nixon is viewed more favorably now than in the 70's, despite still being one of the worst presidents in the 20the century.
Nixon is tough to analyze. His actions really threatened our democracy, but he also did some really good things.
I know that is the current talking point. Can you back it up? Why? What has he done that looks bad in the short run (e.g, Katrina, Iraq, bin Laden still at large, politicizing the Justice Dept., torture, politicizing science, economy) that you think will look really good in 50 years? BTW, I don't view Truman favorably. Atom bomb.
There hasn't been an attack on US soil since 9/11. That's not because they stopped trying. We had 29 consecutive quarters of growth. The seeds of this recession go back to structural problems long before President Bush took office. The Bush Administration has done more for the cause of AIDS in Africa than any other administration. There are many others. I understand that there are many who don't like him personally. I don't agree with many of his domestic policies. However, he's being made out to be one of the worst presidents in history, and I simply don't buy that.
Oh dear. Let's take your issues point-by-point. Katrina: It's funny that neither Ray Nagin nor Mary Landrieu get any blame when they had frontline responsibility. Haley Barbour seemed to handle the crisis fine, even though Mississippi was hit harder than Louisiana. Iraq: 26 million people are now free to vote their will. I'm sorry you find democracy so distasteful. Bin Laden still at-large: You let me know how we can waltz into Waziristan and take him without the Pakistani government being overthrown and nuclear weapons being put in the hands of extremists and I'll cede this point. Politicizing the Justice Department: When wasn't it politicized? The difference is that previously is was politicized by Democrats. Torture: You and I disagree on what constitues torture. Making a room cold, keeping someone awake or making embarrassing photos of them in my mind isn't torture. Politicizing Science: You mean something like global warming? Yep, the Democrats never politicize science. Economy: 29 consecutive quarters of growth. Beat that with a stick. Even after the recent decline, real estate prices are significantly higher than when President Bush took office. The decline in stock prices started when the Democrats took control of Congress. Oh, and Truman's decision to bomb Japan into submission rather than invading saved lives.
Conservatives crack me up. Even in the face of what any sane person would call an absolute disastrous economic situation, they'll find some nugget of anecdotal evidence to praise one of their own who presided over the situation. Let's talk about things that matter to most Americans. Job growth. Income growth. Manageable health care costs. How'd he do on those things? Bush was an absolute disaster of a president, when you think about unpreparedness; croneyism; lack of leadership; inability to accomplish anything of note domestically, proactively or reactively. The list goes on and on. Whether he's the worst of all-time is up for debate, but he certainly doesn't warrant much praise. I'll be lining up with the majority of Americans on Tuesday to tell Bush to not let the door hit him on his way out. Good riddance. -Pop
What a ridiculous statement. You do realize that New Orleans had a whole truckload of inherent issues that Mississippi didn't have. A disaster in a dense, urban population center is going to come with a lot more problems than a rural setting. It's like ordering an evacuation of Wichita, Kansas, and New York City and expecting similar results. Bush completely botched the revitalization and recovery efforts on this. Nobody with half a brain debates this. It's fantastic that there are pieces in place for a democracy in Iraq. I'm not sure anyone would make the argument that it's a stable democracy, which is why we're still dumping billions of dollars in there and putting American lives in danger. Bush handled that situation like a virgin in a whorehouse. -Pop
