I agree with you 100%. Considering the way we conservatives demand perfection, who in their right mind would want to run for office and subject themselves to that level of scrutiny? Basically, the media, Dems, and Obama finished what al Qaeda started and we let it happen because we got too picky and petty. If you kick the dog long enough, he won’t do anything to please you.
Social Security Reform: Bush decided to debate whether or not his proposed solution was “privatization or not” instead of moving the debate to whether or not the plan would help fix Social Security - Failed Policy
Spending: Bush launched the Department of Homeland Security and sold America on consolidating several others departments under one command. NSA, CIA, FBI, etc. were to be under the intelligence gathering authority of HS. In actuality, it just added another chunk of government that is expensive. It does serve a purpose and it was quick to go to work and was effective. But, as in all government spending it has ballooned and no consolidation has been observed. Too many spending bills were passed and not enough budget cuts were sold to America and implemented. The promise was to cut taxes and government spending. In his defense, war is expensive. If this were the only place that spending was overdone, I'd give him a pass. But we will never forget the $1 Trillion dollars, %25 of the entire budget was pushed by Bush to give-aways to failing institutions at the dawn of his presidency as well. The treasury falls under the executive branch.
Immigration: Bush took an opportunity to push through what he figured would be an easy reach-across-the-isle, bipartisan solution to illegal immigration. He failed to understand the position of the people and I have a hard time believing he his heart was in amnesty (despite what he called it). McCain supported this, BTW.
War on Terror: Phase I - Afghanistan and Iraq, Big Wins. Phase II - The overthrow of despots and dictators in nasty countries was the right thing to to do. It was done efficiently and for the right reasons WMDs aside. The wars were necessary as evident by what will be noted as phase II. Phase II - Bush failed to use overwhelming superiority to quell the terrorist infusion into Iraq and cowered to political pressure to avoid adding more troops and the violence that would have surely ensued. The war could have been shortened if America was more aggressive earlier. He walked a tight rope trying to keep the Iraqi's pacified with a longer than expected American presence. The end effect was considerably more than necessary and longer engagement in order to pacify the world and bring Iraqi factions together to soon. (my analytical opinion). War is never easy in the moment and hind-site reveals many missed opportunities and strategic flaws. This is typical for every war America has ever fought in. This one was just under more scrutiny with an unpopular president in office and an unfriendly media reporting.
Communication to the American People: Bush did not have near enough ‘fireside chat’ type discussions with the American people during his tenure.
All that said, I believe his legacy will be the beginning of the end of Radical Islamic terrorist attacks. I believe history will help his approval rating as Iraq and the Middle East gravitate toward more western values and begin denouncing radical Islam. (Its hard to see now but I believe in about 15 - 20 years we shall see it).
We lost our way... SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES want a president who wants bans on GAY MARRIAGE and ABORTIONS, as much as I am PRO-LIFE, those 2 issues are way down the list.
Sorry, but I disagree with you completely.
Bush turned his back on me.
Bush turned his back on conservatism and paved the way for the liberal landslide.
He was elected , wasn’t he? What’s the gripe?
So why did he turn his back on conservatism?
The Kennedy Cabinet seat. Dept of ED. nuff said
No Child Left Behind .. more money to make mush of kids minds
Prescription Drugs .. everybody loves cheap drugs, don’t they?
Bail-out-orama — financial institutions shanghaied
Praising the election of a Marxist
The Office deserves respect, the occupant who doesn’t respect his base or his nation’s direction.. well, that is another thing.
While he has been steadfast in his WoT effort, what does it gain us if we ‘win’ that war and still lose the nation?
jmo
I am not going to say Bush destroyed the party. I cannot. WHat was our alternative? Gore? Kerry? I do not think so.
Anyone that wants to blame Bush for destroying the party needs to put each and every member of Congress ahead of him. The GOP gonads have been hanging in the dem cloak room for years. My hunch is they will be there for the next 2 cycles. Right now the GOP members who were not kicked out are hanging by a thread. Staying in office is the name of the game.
McCain lost this election becuase he backed himself into a kinder, gentler election corner through CFR. We said at the time that CFR has opened the door for Soros and his ilk to buy elections.
The media had his number. They played him like a fiddle. Everytime he started an offensive all they had to do was say he was ‘negative.’ I believe that is why he did not go after Dodd and Franks. MSM would have had a field day with that.
Now, can someone point me to the free money line? Obama said we’re gonna be rich!
“I’ll see you at the bill signing.”
He is an inept leader, who was good on the war on terror.
If he saw the mortgage crisis looming, he did NOT use the bully pulpit to make it know. He may have tried something, but then a bright and shinny object came in his field of view and he moved on...
Bush was a bad president, and I voted for him twice. He’s not completely to blame, but his failure to communicate and his embrace of big government in issues that should be left to the states, along with his spending cost us bad.