Well, any way you cut it, Bush has not turned out to be the most popular president. Then again, presidents shouldn’t run for a popularity contest they are elected to be leaders. As I pointed out, I like Bush the man but I really can’t muster a good opinion of Bush the president because, except for a brief period after 9-11, he has not been a leader, IMO. And, should Obama become the 44th chief executive, I really am going to blame Bush for the defeat of McCain/Palin because the Dims are savy enough to realize that if they can make McCain into Bush, as they are trying to, Obama wins.
Like you, I like Bush the man -- though I've disagreed with him on many of his policies.
But on the one transcendant issue of our age -- the War on Terror -- he enjoys my complete support. He rallied the country, adopted a strategy of great vision and stubbornly prosecuted the war. Sure, he made mistakes. But wars never go as planned. Inevitably, they become a conflict of adjustments.
There's another important consideration, as well. It was either George W. Bush...or Algore...or John Effin Kerry. Under the circumstances, I have absolutely no regrets that Bush has been my President the last eight years.