Bush did a good job on defense, but his $389B deficit in 2008 DID look liberal and is what turned so many conservatives off when they saw the even more liberal McCain nominated. So, yes, those who got involved because they object to Obama’s $1.5T plus deficits would make Bush look liberal. Is that a problem? I don’t think so, at least not to those who care about the burden that Obama and Pelosi are leaving for our children.
Defense was one of his biggest blunders. It started by making Rummy Sec of Def. Want to know who invented the Carter Military? It was Rummy. Early 1977 and I mean very early things were a huge mess.
Several bad moves. First was Rummy. Second was not raising End Troop Strengths by a minimal 25% immediately after 9/11. 30% increase would have been ideal. Net increase? Zero. Troops were doing 3-5 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Issues like Naval readiness which began under Poppy continued under Clinton and George mostly uncorrected. Our Navy is down from the 594 ships in 1987 to the 289 left in 2008. Critical maintenance was still being shorted. Maintenance that got done even in the Carter years.
The worse mistake military wise? Using our military for something he said he was against and had rightfully blasted Clinton and Gore for doing which was nation building. If Bush had let our troops do their job in a military manner and not a State Department ran one the War in Iraq would have been short and Iran would not have even thought about a nuclear program. Ignoring Yemen was another very huge mistake. Bin Laden could have and may be safely hiding there sad to say.
The Court Martials of our troops serving in Iraq was also another huge political and military blunder. Bush brought in Poppy's old team to run things which was Gerald Fords old team which was as much as responsible as Carter for the birth of M.E. state sponsored terrorism. On Foreign Policy? Wrong especially in relation to Israel. Israel had he left them alone and stayed out of their business could have done us some very huge favors in true progress in the W.O.T.