Give 'em Hell, George

The American Thinker ^ | 2/1/2006 | Steve Marmer

[saveliberty]

Give 'em hell, George
January 31st, 2006

 

 

One of the great ironies beneath the hatred by Democrats of President George W. Bush is that the president whom Bush most closely resembles is one of the great heroes of the Democratic Party, President Harry S Truman.  The similarities between Presidents Bush and Truman are so obvious that it is a wonder that they have not been highlighted earlier. 

These two men, disdained during their presidencies, faced plummeting poll numbers, presided over unpopular foreign military actions, and were committed to using American power to promote and defend democracy even when other countries objected.  Each won reelection and pursued his policies despite fierce attacks from opponents and eroding political support within his own party.  

Like President Bush, President Truman was regarded as an intellectual lightweight.  Both were thought of as inarticulate and bumbling in their speech.  Each shared a combination of Southwestern and Midwestern twang to go along with the geographic values of their home regions. 

The mainstream media reviled both President Bush and President Truman.  Yet each won highly controversial elections.  Fortunately in 1948 even oppositional mainstream media did not accuse Truman of electoral fraud.  Can you imagine what David Boies, Warren Christopher, and Al Gore could have made of the infamous “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline had they been working for candidate Thomas Dewey? 

Truman and Bush both believed in the projection of American power throughout the world.  In the pursuit of that power each used the United Nations when the UN was useful to the United States – Truman in Korea and Bush in Afghanistan.  Yet each did not hesitate to create alternative coalitions of the willing when the situation demanded.  Think of NATO for Truman and Iraq for Bush. 

And at times each was willing for the US to go it alone, as with the Truman Doctrine to save Greece from a Communist takeover. 

Each involved the United States in what became in political terms an unpopular war.  In Korea there are still nearly 35,000 American troops over fifty years after the cease-fire.  General Eisenhower ran against the war by saying that if elected he would “go to Korea,” and part of his success came from campaigning against that war.  Currently the opposition party believes it can defeat or weaken Bush by running against the war in Iraq. 

Truman was president when another nation – The Soviet Union – developed nuclear weapons, partially with the help of Leftist scientists in the West.  Bush is president while another hostile and dangerous opponent – Iran – is attempting to develop nuclear weapons, also with the help of sympathetic scientists outside their country. 

No president had lower job approval ratings than President Truman, 22% at their lowest, yet he demonstrated his greatest political strength when he campaigned directly against the opposition party – The “Do Nothing” 86th Congress.  President Bush’s job approval ratings declined after attempting to win opposition leader Senator Harry Reid’s approval with the Harriet Meirs nomination to the Supreme Court.  He too has been at his strongest when engaged in a campaign directly against the opposition party, as in 2002 and 2004, and weakest when he has attempted compromise with them. 

Finally, no presidents have been greater friends and supporters of Israel than President Harry S Truman and President George W. Bush.  Truman made the United States the first nation to recognize the State of Israel.  Bush has supported Israel’s efforts to protect itself with the security fence and had been the first president to demand real reform from the Palestinian Authority. 

Some may say that differences in domestic matters eclipse their foreign policy and national security similarities.  President Truman was a liberal while President Bush is a conservative.  Yet President Truman angered the unions when he used the Taft-Hartley Act to end the steel strike, and President Bush initiated the largest increase in Medicare since its inception, each angering many members of their respective parties. 

In retrospect President Truman is now a revered figure.  His inarticulateness is now seen as “plain speaking.”  His stubbornness is now seen as determination.  His actions in Korea helped spread democracy and produce all the “Asian Tiger” economies of that region.  And his initiatives outside of the UN, such as NATO and in Greece, are regarded as huge American successes that contributed greatly to peace and stability. 

Time will tell whether President Bush, like President Truman, will be as revered by history as he was reviled while in office.  I am inclined to believe he will.

Dr. Steven Marmer is a psychiatrist in Southern California.

 

Steven Marmer
 

[saveliberty]

The problem there was the UN and China. Truman only had a resolution to push back to the demarcation. When the forces advanced into NoKo, China threatened to get involved.

There was not a lot that Truman could do. But it plays well for President Bush in dealing with NoKo as it would not exist were it not for China :-)

[Mr_Moonlight]

It may take a few days to search though, and I don't really remember if I even bookmarked it, but it was the sort of article that strikes ya as one that just has to be bookmarked, so perhaps I did. Will let ya know if I find it ....

[saveliberty]

:-) Gosh, I know what that's like. Thanks again for looking.

[Sammie42]

Thanks for the ping! I remember when Truman was president, guess that gives away my age, 2 yrs older than dirt! The two men do have similarities, many were critical of Truman, but he didn't have the hate directed toward him as does President Bush.

[Mr_Moonlight]

HAY ... I found it!!! Though not on my old decrepit coughing-up-blood 'puter thats in dire need of an OS overhaul, but simply by Googling the words 'bush kerry truman dewey' ... it pops right up as the first entry :)

Why Truman Defeats Dewey - and Bush Beats Kerry?

Enjoy :)

[Cicero]

Yes, I agree that Jimmuh Carter and Bubba Clinton raced each other to the bottom to be known as Worst President of the United States.

But the loss of China (by failing to back Chung Kai Shek) was a mistake of massive proportions for a president who was not always too bad.

[FOXFANVOX]

Save, you have way too much time on your hands. You must return home, now!

Kidding of course. Thanks for the ping. I always enjoy historical comparisons. They bring history to life and add texture to the present.

[saveliberty]

:-) LOL! You are not.

And Truman's situation was different as the party split was not aired the way the petulant whinings against President Bush are

[saveliberty]

Oh that's terrific! Thank you so much-- it's a great read!

I chuckled over to err is Truman

[saveliberty]

Truman had a brutal party split on his hands, sorry but that was very important.

[saveliberty]

LOL! You are welcome!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[SE Mom]

Great piece SL- thanks for the ping:)

The Democrats of today would be unlikely to welcome a Harry Truman in their midst. He had principles and guts.

[johnny7]

Just think who Truman replaced as FDR's VP... what a nightmare it COULD HAVE BEEN.

[saveliberty]

You're welcome, Alamo-Girl!

[saveliberty]

The Democrats of his time had a hard time with him too. He was the last traditional Democrat. Then the loonies took over

[LibertyLee]

Great post! I'm betting that George W. Bush WILL be recorded as one of the great Presidents behind Reagan! I'm praying he'll at least start on taking care of Iran and N. Korea (maybe via Syria).

[kevinm13]

Excellent suggestion about how to preserve the truth by keeping papers, books and DVD's and your own memories of the Bush Presidency. I agree that the left controls the media, educators and will likely rewrite history in their favor. Look what they are trying to do to rewrite Bill Clinton's horrible legacy. You should share what you have collected so that we can all benefit. My kids are in college and are very curious about what is going on politically. They can see the liberal Bush-hating from their professors and want to challenge them without putting their own grades in jeopardy. They want to believe what they have been told about conservatives but keep getting conflicting information from all of their sources -- college, friends, MTV, the rest of the media, college papers. It is a tough battle for them not to give in to all around them but I believe they know the differences and are fighting for what is right.

[saveliberty]

:-) I think that he's doing far more than we know. As for history, now we are being heard, thanks to Regnery Press. There will always be wack jobs, but just think for a moment about how quickly Americans rallied (unbidded) to say that they supported action against Iran.

Moonbats can squeal, but they can't force opinion.

[saveliberty]

Thanks Kevinm! Don't forget that the Regnery Press has published what liberals hate and it's a significant publisher.

As for your children in college, it's a challenge to be your own person and avoid retribution from the faculty, but this is how successful conservatives are made: as they will become more able to articulate dissenting views effectively and gracefully :-) Witness CJ John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito.