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Historians: Bush presidency 'battered,' 'incompetent,' 'unlucky'
CNN ^ | Thursday, November 7, 2008 | Ed Hornick

Posted on 11/06/2008 4:21:15 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

(CNN) -- With record low approval ratings and intense criticism for his handling of the Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina and the economy, the word most used to label George W. Bush's presidency will be "incompetent," historians say.

"Right now there is not a lot of goodwill among historians. Most see him as a combination of many negative factors," said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School.

"He is seen as incompetent in terms of how he handled domestic and foreign policy. He is seen as pushing for an agenda to the right of the nation and doing so through executive power that ignored the popular will," he added.

But like so many presidents before him, Bush's reputation could change with time.

Harvard University political history scholar Barbara Kellerman said when President-elect Barack Obama takes over in January, people may view Bush in a new light.

"I think it's possible when people have stopped being as angry at the Bush administration as they are now ... that they will realize that some of this is just ... the luck of the draw."

Kellerman, author of the book "Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters," noted that Bush has not had luck on his side for the past eight years.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
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To: Big_Monkey

When we are hit, it will be Zero’s fault.

Mark my words.

He’s already contributing to the lawlessness by just being elected based on the expectations of being all things to every person on the planet.

The disappointment will be breathtaking to behold.


21 posted on 11/06/2008 4:43:49 PM PST by OpusatFR (Neither Republican or Democrat. Monarchist with allegience to The Only One.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I think historians may find that THESE are the good old days.


22 posted on 11/06/2008 4:43:53 PM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life ;o)
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To: MinorityRepublican
I can't agree with the way Bush handled Illegal Immigration.

OTOH, he kept this Country safe for 8 years. He didn't disgrace his wife, family and country, the Oval Office like Bill Clinton did.

Bush was and is an honorable man. God Bless Him.

sw

23 posted on 11/06/2008 4:46:41 PM PST by spectre (Spectre's wife (Please, Pres. Bush, Pardon Ramos and Compeon)
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To: Jeff Head

I absolutely agree....the media spent the past 7+ years portraying W in the worse light possible - wanting to destroy him - and never mind the effect it had on this country....they will now spend the next 4 years upholding Hussein and protecting all of his screw ups....and of course, everything he does wrong will still be blamed on W.....


24 posted on 11/06/2008 4:47:14 PM PST by BamaDi (Jindal/Steele - my new choice!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

The same scumbags, as well as the Drive By Media are ready to put Obamaramla-ding-dong on Mt Rushmore already.


25 posted on 11/06/2008 4:51:32 PM PST by Feckless (En Temps)
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To: MinorityRepublican
obama was not elected; he stole the election, with the help of ACORN and MoveOn.org.

Isn't it about time for soros' expiration date to be up?

26 posted on 11/06/2008 4:53:43 PM PST by Constitution1st (Never, never, never quit - Winston Churchill)
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To: MinorityRepublican

This historian has never, ever, not once, been contacted by any of these organizations for his opinion on Pres. Bush’s administrations.


27 posted on 11/06/2008 4:54:19 PM PST by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually." (Hendrix))
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To: OpusatFR

In the few cases where people have asked me, as a history professor, to rate Bush, I tell them that two years into his successor’s term (at the time, didn’t know who it would be), George W. Bush, for all his faults, will be FONDLY remembered.


28 posted on 11/06/2008 4:56:06 PM PST by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually." (Hendrix))
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To: MinorityRepublican

katrina was a failure of city of no and state of louisiana

but promoted on tv as a racist failure of president bush.


29 posted on 11/06/2008 5:00:17 PM PST by ken21 (people die and you never hear from them again.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

If Bush was for gay marriage and pro-abortion, none of those fools would’ve given two flips about Iraq.


30 posted on 11/06/2008 5:02:23 PM PST by Harry Wurzbach (Joe The Plumber & Rep. Thaddeus McCotter are my heroes.)
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To: Brian S. Fitzgerald

Yep, way to early for this. Dims will blame Bush for as long as they can. I expect something along these lines from 0: “Bush left things in much worse shape than even I expected so I can’t do, bla bla bla.”


31 posted on 11/06/2008 5:02:33 PM PST by Need4Truth
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To: MinorityRepublican
Bush 1 gave us Clinton because of a crappy economy!
Bush 2 gave us Obama because of a crappy economy!

No chance for a Bush 3 since thanks to them there won't be a democratic nation anymore. Thanx George's!

32 posted on 11/06/2008 5:05:18 PM PST by Bommer ( Republican Party - RIP!)
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To: spectre

350000 illegal immigrants were returned to where ever this year, and no media coverage. Have you ever noticed that big media stopped covering White House Press briefings after incompetent Scott McClellan left, and competent Tony Snow and then Dana Perino took over.

The media silence regarding Bush’s work in the White House has been beyond imagining. Practically a total blackout. People think he has done “nothing.”

I believe that his voice irritated the White House reporters - the folks who choose the clips to use on radio and tv - as much as Obama’s voice irritates me. So these “journalists” played his voice as little as possible, assuming that no one in America would want to be subjected to listening to it. We used to hear Clinton say something every hour on the hour.

Ann Compton who does the ABC radio reports every hour, sometimes allows listeners to hear about four words in a quote, and then she tells the listeners the rest of what GWB has said.


33 posted on 11/06/2008 5:12:56 PM PST by maica (Barack Obama is a Weathermen Project.)
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To: LS

I will bet you a case of your favorite beer or wine that by Summer 09, the wheels will have completely come off the country and dodging thugs will be a national past-time.

I’d say mid-July 09 by the looks of things.


34 posted on 11/06/2008 5:13:14 PM PST by OpusatFR (Neither Republican or Democrat. Monarchist with allegience to The Only One.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Sometime in the next 50 years, W will be regarded as a near great president. He will be recognized as the one who led the fight to save western civilization from the islamofascists, as the first western leader to recognize the threat posed by islam to civilized people everywhere.


35 posted on 11/06/2008 5:16:19 PM PST by muir_redwoods (B. O. Stinks!!!)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Kearns-Goodwin, Beschloss, Brinkley, Ifill: Objective biographers?
Chapters remaining (and will continue to remain) blank:

"Who's Barry's Daddy?"
"How Barry Got an Indonesian Passport"
"How Bary Traded in an Indonesian Passport for a Red Senate Passport"
"How an 'American' Traveled to Pakistan in the 1980's When Pakistan Wasn't Accepting Americans"
"Lies From Barry's Bar Association Application: What's in a Name?"
"How Barry Put an Entire Illinois State Senate Office Through a Tree-Chipper"
"Larry and Barry: A Wild Limo Ride in Gurnee"
"Columbia: Barry's Grades, Barry's Benefactors, and Barry's Friends: Ayers-The Early Years"
"ACORN: From a Small Nut, a Large Red Oak"
"Alinsky's Principles and Barry: The Formative Years"
"What Land Deal? Who is Rezko?"
"How to Improve Schools by Making Them Worse: Annenberg Money Down a Rat Hole"
"How to Attend a Church for 20 Years and Not Hear Anything"
"How Barry Helped Solve the Murder of a Beloved Choir Director, OJ Style"
"How Barry Brought Chicago-Style Machine Politics to Washington: Handouts, 'Walkin's Around Money', Muscle, and Bagmen"

36 posted on 11/06/2008 5:20:30 PM PST by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.....)
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To: muir_redwoods

In general, presidents are remembered for foreign policy-—unless it is LBJ, whose twin legacies are Vietnam and the Great Society. Bush’s failures in domestic policy will fade somewhat and his successes in foreign policy will be magnified, particularly when the truth is learned of how he dismantled the worldwide Islamic terror machine.


37 posted on 11/06/2008 5:20:40 PM PST by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually." (Hendrix))
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To: RoseofTexas

Amen, Rose!

I feel it in my heart that one day in the future, God will reward President Bush and he will be vindicated.


38 posted on 11/06/2008 5:22:13 PM PST by BlueAngel
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To: MinorityRepublican
Historians: Bush presidency 'battered,' 'incompetent,' 'unlucky'

After 4 years of Obama Marxism and foreign policy weakness, the historians are going to give GWB glowing reviews!

39 posted on 11/06/2008 5:23:10 PM PST by avacado
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To: MinorityRepublican
With record low approval ratings and intense criticism for his handling of the Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina and the economy, the word most used to label George W. Bush's presidency will be "incompetent," historians say.

One wonders what words will be used to describe 9% Nancy and the do-nothing Congress???

40 posted on 11/06/2008 5:25:08 PM PST by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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