W made some questionable decisions. It's too early for "history" to judge Iraq or Afghanistan - the major hooks these critics focus on. Whatever you think of his drunken sailor spending or the wars, even now it's clear W's term is objectively not "bottom 5 all time."
He responded timidly in the face of an immediately undermined presidency (Gore & selected-not-elected meme) and but well to 9/11 terrorist attacks: the economy kept moving, American people were kept safe.
There were no world wars, no brink of human annihilation, no civil wars, no Great Depression, allies still allies, foes still quietly dithering, no internment camps, no conscription... the primary complaints about W's tenure are "high class problems" - largely just effete whining.
W was not a GREAT president, more middle-of-the-road in my book, but Heaven help us if we'd had Al Gore or Obama in 2001!
Actually we probably would have a Reagan in office now if we had Gore in 2001.
Bush was a horrible president and a progressive. They are the problem...