Here’s the deal:
Bush took a pounding for 8 long years and never bothered to respond and fight for the truth. He let Libby hang out to dry, as a case in point.
The MSM, Democrats, and liberals bashed Bush 24/7 for everything. The Bush administration chose not to fight for the truth and thought his silence was great bipartisanship and “above the fray”.
Bush took the country to war, loved the troops, and abandoned his leadership post to keep up support for the effort with the rest of the country.
As a result of all this, and the financial bailout calamity weeks before the election, the stars were all aligned to vote against Bush and for...anyone!
Obama with his billion dollar campaign of illegal money was able to show himself as passable. Coupled with the MSM’s help (they’re worth up to 15 points in a national election) and it didn’t matter. Mickey Mouse with a “D” after his name would have won.
He did.
Let's not make Bush out to be a victim in all this. He has consistently betrayed conservative principles since at least 2004 and, with his bailout stunt today, probably put the final nail in the coffin of the Republican Party. He makes McCain look like Reagan at this point and that's saying something.