Assessing the presidency of George W. Bush

Circleville Herald ^ | March 4,2009 | Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I believe the constant congressional votes to defund or set withdrawal timelines forced the Bush administration to compromise its principals and accept big government spending from democrats. Bush was a war President first, last, and forever.

[ex-snook]

Making China a permanent favored trading partner didn’t help our job economy either.

[lilylangtree]

Pres. GWB took the fight to the terrorists grounds. I commend him.

[Retired Greyhound]

Bush saved this country by not surrendering in Iraq.

Missed a lot of opportunites.

Good man, great War time leader, so-so President.

[meandog]

Assessing the presidency of Bush

I give it a low F!

GWB, IMO, will go down in history along with Franklin Pierce, Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, U.S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton as among our worst ever!

[jessduntno]

“then the American people might gain a new-found appreciation for the presidency of George W. Bush. “

Anyone in America think we WEREN’T going to get hit again after the slaughter on 9/11 by those cowardly scum? I’ve got plenty of appreciation right now, thank you...

[RobbyS]

I agree with almost everything here, especially his comparison of Bush with Johnson.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

I disagree.

[meandog]

Bush has been likened to Truman (unpopular war) and Hoover (gigantic financial panic), but I think the most striking parallels are with the other president from Texas, Lyndon Johnson. Bush is the first president since LBJ to have created a new federal entitlement (the Medicare prescription drug benefit). Like LBJ, Bush conducted a “guns & butter” policy—waging an expensive, unpopular military war while massively increasing domestic spending. Like LBJ, Bush’s runaway spending has sown the seeds of stagnation and inflation. Future stagnation, the “War on Terror,” and the financial collapse of 2008 will comprise the legacy of our 43rd president.

LBJ had the good sense not to seek a second term; otherwise he'd fall in the category of "worst presidents" too. Currently, he ranks just slightly ahead of them...his only claim to fame is Civil Rights legislation.

[PhilCollins]

I think that Bush was average. I agree with all of his Iraq decisions, and I was in Iraq, Sept. 2004-Mar. ‘05. However, his tax cuts were too small, and his spending increases were too large. He wanted to give amnesty to illegal aliens, and he signed a few bills that gave money to Planned Parenthood.

[geologist]

The neglect of the medias/press/ resources; in regard to the responsibility of our legislative bodies, via passing all laws; and stifling Bush's and the Republican issues ... it not Bush's fault. They would not let his message get more than token coverage. His hands were tied on most issues other than 911 and Iraq. What he received a lot of ... was condensation and ridicule. Not the way to treat a President daily ... on going. MO.

He was/is a social liberal. He did not agree with the immigration issues. He excused them Not republican values in my mind.

A (compassionate conservative ) is how he described it. He won the election on it. He delivered to them. At least he was honest.

[ex-snook]

"Bush was a war President first, last, and forever."

Sorry. A war President must unite the country. This needed a real Declaration of War. Bush failed to unite the country in the same way as Truman and Johnson didn't. Roosevelt was a war President.

[lormand]

"I give it a low F!"

Wow. You don't leave much room for something worse, like a McCain or Obama presidency. I'm guessing you think that either one would be better than Bush right?

[meandog]

I disagree.

You disagree because of his GWOT I presume? If so, I counter with why didn't he finish the job first in Afghanistan before committing treasure and blood to Iraq to take out the dictator his old man left in power? It was, IMO, a reckless gamble especially so because he was so apparently reluctant to commit overwhelming, crushing force in the initial stages of OIF. If he had canned Rumsfeld and initiated the surge that Gen. Prateus and others were urging in 2004 instead of 2006, pehaps we'd be celebrating another GOP president instead of the idiot now in the White House. Then I might agree with you that he would at least be a mediocre precident (Katrina, his dry VETO pen on spending and penchant for bailouts keep him from being considered fair to good).

[meandog]

Wow. You don't leave much room for something worse, like a McCain or Obama presidency. I'm guessing you think that either one would be better than Bush right?

I believe McCain would have been far superior to Bush and, in fact, I worked hard on campaigning for him to be the GOP standard bearer in 2000. Bush was, IMHO, just the lucky sperm respient of "Read My Lips" and, like his old man, tried to undo the legacy of Ronald Wilson Reagan with "compassionate conservatism" whatever the heck that means.

[pgkdan]

Right now, it seems unlikely that anyone will ever long for “the good old days” when Bush II was president, although what happens in the future may alter our perceptions. If Barack Obama tries to conciliate Islamic militants and they, in turn, inflict a devastating strike on an American city, or if, in his zeal to be the second coming of FDR, Obama drives the economy into a second Great Depression, then the American people might gain a new-found appreciation for the presidency of George W. Bush.

I'd say it's an even money bet that obama will do both!

All in all I agree with this assessment of Bush's Presidency. I admire him for some things and condemn him for others.

[RobbyS]

Finish the job in Afghanistan? Exasctly what would that have entailed? You forget the complication of the refuge that the Taliban has found in Pakistan. The situation is a bit like Johnson put himself into when he refused to invade North Vietnam, or when Truman decided not to push north in 1951 after we had broken the momentum of the Chinese army, and to accept the division of Korea. The trouble is that we don’t know what would have followed a different policy in any of these cases.

[pgkdan]

believe McCain would have been far superior to Bush and, in fact, I worked hard on campaigning for him to be the GOP standard bearer in 2000.

Yeah...right. Now I understand.

[NavyCanDo]

I could say allot of negatives about George Bush, mostly about his communication skills, and failure to curb spending - But I prefer to remember how he lifted this country up after being knocked down so hard on 9/11. Would any of us in our wildest imaginations have thought that economy would bounce back BIG TIME within three years?

You want to reflect back on George Bush, reflect back on this:

The 2001 World Series opening pitch - Right Down the Middle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xGZujzkrA

Reflect back on the address to the Joint session of congress where he holds up a fireman's badge who was killed in the towers.

Reflect back to when he stood on the rubble of the twin towers megaphone in hand. Did you know that when he drove through NY on the way to the site, crowds of spectators, many of them volunteer emergency workers lines the street cheering him on and waving flags shouting USA, USA, USA - Mayor Rudy who was riding with him said to Bush, Do you see those people cheering? None of them voted for you.”

That was George Bush in the first years after 9/11, the George Bush that too many people forgot.