The Bush Years in Retrospect

[samspade]

Writers of all stripes seem to find comfort in excusing the growing and obvious incompetence of Barack Obama, by contrasting his popularity with the “hatred” for George Bush. George Bush was only hated by the left, those on the right did not hate the president but they were extremely disappointed with some of his fiscal policies. Additionally, former President Bush was much too tepid in responding to the libel from liberals.

Those who faulted the president for his fiscal transgressions and his reticence to aggressively fight back against his liberal aggressors need to look again at the Bush Years. The intention here is not to focus on policy specifics, rather to focus on governance versus autocratic rule. George Bush practiced the former; our new president is in the process of the latter.

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[Scracer14]

I have always been a supporter of G. W. Bush. I think he fell short with his communication with the public. He has said things now that he is out of office like "Being a leader is not about making the decisions the people want but making the tough sometimes unpopular ones". Just saying that in one of his speeches during his presidency would have made a huge difference. I think that in hindsight we probably should not have invaded Iraq, but that at the time it was the right call. The president should have come forth and said that, even later in his presidency. Not that it was a mistake, but admitting that the intelligence was wrong, but that we did get a evil man out of power. Bush had a huge following among young people because he told it like it was while he was running for election, and he ran the country that same way, But he didn't communicate any of that back to the public once he was elected.

Just my 2 copper

[the_conservative_otaku]

George Bush kept our country safe after the terrible tragedy of 9/11. I should know, but I was witness to it on live television. I can agree that some of his policies may have been a little far fetched, but the left would just focus on the bad things about his presidency. They hated him, and didn't let up on him either. The media would always focus on the bad things about Iraq, and never the progressive things, such as soldiers re-volunteering to serve in Iraq after they had been discharged from the military, because they believed that what they were doing was the right thing. The media never wanted this out, so the news was spread underground. I think it was brave of him to assume responsibility for Katrina. I never saw Ray Nagin taking any responsibility for the mess he created, and was shifting all of his mess on the President. Thanks to that though, Kanye West was revealed to be the hypocrite that he is, which also helped to deter me from rap and pop music. I approve of Bush's time as president, even though not many other people will think so.

[Susanna]

I have always been a supporter of G. W. Bush. I think he fell short with his communication with the public. He has said things now that he is out of office like "Being a leader is not about making the decisions the people want but making the tough sometimes unpopular ones". Just saying that in one of his speeches during his presidency would have made a huge difference. I think that in hindsight we probably should not have invaded Iraq, but that at the time it was the right call. The president should have come forth and said that, even later in his presidency. Not that it was a mistake, but admitting that the intelligence was wrong, but that we did get a evil man out of power. Bush had a huge following among young people because he told it like it was while he was running for election, and he ran the country that same way, But he didn't communicate any of that back to the public once he was elected.

Just my 2 copper

Don't think the intelligence was wrong. But you're right about one thing; he didn't communicate well enough. Thought it was enough just to do his job, which, for the most part, he did very well.

[mborgia]

The Daily Borg archives contain two informative articles on President Bush and his popularity and legacy on the Archives Page.

"Valedictory" posted January 15, 2009 discusses the remarkable achievements of the Bush Administration as it rose above the twin disasters that book ended it, the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the banking collapse that began a day after 9/11 in 2008 after Lehman Brothers collapsed. It also addresses one of the greatest lies told about Bush, even by conservatives. That lie is that Bush was a wreckless liberal spender. But in fact Federal deficits under Bush according to U.S. Government Spending.Com only averaged 2.43% of GDP for the entire Bush era, lower than any President since WW II who did not have Newt Gingrich running the House of Representatives. And in the last year the Republicans controlled Congress the deficit had fallen to less than one percent of GDP. We are now approaching 12% of GDP for FY 2009.

"Why They Hate Bush So Much" posted December 21, 2007 explains the answer to that simple question. Bush was a man of faith who spent the people's money wisely (see above), confronted evil forcibly and in plain terms, cut taxes for everyone without playing political favorites and believed that America was truly an exceptional nation...a shining city on a hill. Sound like anyone else we know and love?

[Lithium]

I dont agree with most of the things he did. However, even if it was for the wrong reasons, the liberation of Iraq is something to be proud of, and the fact that Saddam Hussein's dead is something to be proud of. Those things can can go along way and lead to some great things not only there, but other countries...

[MrViews90]

- largest tax relief in a generation
- reduced crime rates
- more airport and homeland security
- free elections in Iraq
- increased aid to genocide and disease victims
- conservative judges appointed
- more healthcare coverage
- largest national debt in history ( until now )
- increased corruption in government
- mismanagement of the war in Iraq


as you can see, Bush did some good things, but also some bad things.

[Arion45]

I agree Obama is worst than Bush. But it was Bush's horrible presidency that got him elected.

[Susanna]

I agree Obama is worst than Bush. But it was Bush's horrible presidency that got him elected.

Bush's presidency was not horrible. It was depicted as horrible by the leftist MSM, who are still drooling over Obama.

[mborgia]

- largest tax relief in a generation
- reduced crime rates
- more airport and homeland security
- free elections in Iraq
- increased aid to genocide and disease victims
- conservative judges appointed
- more healthcare coverage
- largest national debt in history ( until now )
- increased corruption in government
- mismanagement of the war in Iraq


as you can see, Bush did some good things, but also some bad things.

Yes, Bush did have the largest debt in history, but that is a tag that can be laid on every president that came before him, since the U.S. trade deficit continues to add to the debt even during years of budgetary surplus.

There is no evidence that corruption in government was higher than the norm under President Bush. No cabinet level official of the Bush Administration was indicted or even forced from office under ethical cloud. Of what other president in recent times can that be said?

President Bush left Iraq all but won. To suggest it was mismanaged lacks context. Yes, over 4,000 soldiers died during the war, many due to poor tactical decisions, but 4,000 dead represented a bad afternoon in just about any other war we've ever fought. By comparison, Iraq has been almost sanitary compared to one day blood baths such as Gettysburg, Iwo Jima, Normandy and other battles.