Editor's note: Timothy Stanley is a historian at Oxford University and blogs for Britain's Daily Telegraph. He is the author of the new book "The Crusader: The Life and Times of Pat Buchanan." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Timothy Stanley.
Thursday afternoon, Barack Obama presided over the unveiling of George W. Bush's official portrait in the White House, a warm event that reminds us: It feels like years since President Dubya regaled the world with his famous spoonerisms. His retirement has been defined by an awkward silence. While John McCain's endorsement was trumpeted by Mitt Romney, Bush delivered his in just four words. "I'm for Mitt Romney," he shouted to a journalist as an elevator door closed between them. If, just for old time's sake, Bush had said, "I'm for Ritt Momney," it would have been perfect.
Bush's silence may be motivated by the recognition that much of the public doesn't like him. He left office with the worst approval rating for a president since Watergate. But Bush could undergo a renaissance of enthusiasm. Consider the shifting attitudes toward Harry Truman.
When he left the White House in 1952, Truman was blamed for the recession and an ugly war in Korea. His approval rate was just 31%. By 1977, Jimmy Carter was hanging Truman's portrait in the White House and the band Chicago sang, "America needs you, Harry Truman!" The switch came partly because Truman, like Bush, had a gentle, honest personality that voters looked back on with fondness. But Truman also proved prescient in his conduct of the Cold War. Bush, likewise, might seem a better and more farsighted leader in a few years time.
But not yet. In the short term, the two things that will dominate popular memories of Bush are the credit crunch and the Iraq War.
Read more about why Bush's time in office might start to look comparatively benign.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
That realy is not the question. The question is "will history ever be kind to the group which brought up Bush"?. Bush-like trend is a long past of administration of the world. I think It will be a case story to be examined by future generations.
Indeed Bush II will be remembered for the drama in 2000 as the Supreme Court stopped the recount in Florida and named him president. While his legitimacy was questioned by many, his goals were modest: domestic issues like education, immigration and health care were a priority. Yet the tragedy of 9/11 turned his tenure into a war mode, best described as "extraordinary measures for extraordinary times," The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq proved his undoing. The Guantanamo issue and tortures made him a hate figure among the Islamists. Also mother nature turned against him. The hurricane Katrina and the rescue operation of his administration had become synonymous with incompetence and bad judgement. Let's see how the world see Bush II in two decades!
9/11 turned the running of the country over to the war mongers and Bush was no longer his own man.
@ "Keith
9/11 turned the running of the country over to the war mongers and Bush was no longer his own man."
Bush had the same philosophy even before 9/11 and so he recruited like-minded people into his administration.
Well, we certainly know how the ARAB WORLD views George Bush. While Obama knocks his head against the wall and STILL is on his "reaching out to the Islamic world" ideological fantasy, polls have shown that the Arab world views Bush incredibly more highly than Obama (who they have virtually no liking for and who they see as a mere mouthpiece and essentially without much substance). That tells me there are more than a few Arabs who know how to read people....
Bush will look good compared to Obama.
in your dreams
Bush will look GREAT compared to Obama
Bush 2.0 deserves to be remembered as the failure he was. He was clearly and completely not up for the task of being president, even under the least testing of times. Instead of being a true leader his subordinates controlled many of the most important policy decisions allowing Bush 2.0 to do the "hard work" of chopping wood at his Texas ranch while vacationing every other week for 8 years.
Bushie Jr was by far the worst thing that ever happened to this country. Oh, and Dick Cheney and the hypocrite Carl Rove also, they destroyed this country. Obama may be a mediocre president, but 4 years on, he is still trying to clean up those three's mess!!
Bush is a war criminal and should put on trial in the Hague.
History will be kind to his father – but the son was manipulated by two of the most evil politicians in history. DIck Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld duped President Bush into going to war with "cherry-picked" intelligence they knew to be false. America will never forgive him for the loss of lives and the near-complete destruction of our economy.
He was just as guilty with the "misinformation". I know I wouldn't be kind to Goerge.... but we all know the "history books will be full of outright lies and half truths. George, Dicky and Donald should have all be tried for war crimes and maybe even treason. Unfortunately there really isn't justice in the U.S., not when it comes to the rich and powerful anyway.
I will never forget the stupid look on his face when he was "informed" of the 911 "attack while he was in that elementary school. He tried very hard to look surprised and maybe even concerned. The look he had seemed to me to be one of "OK, I really gotta try hard to look surprised and concerned".
Thank you, SICKOFIT. You said it all.
You morons need to have your brains removed and eaten by that zombie fool from florida. you should be tried... tried for treason. every day i thank my lucky stars dubya and his administration could make the hard choices, because i like being free. And a losers like you with your stupid opinions aren't what is going to keep me that way.
Thank you for your comment. You conspiracy people are hilarious. I appreciate the laugh.
So what are you saying Heywood? If your not free, then you must be in jail. What did you do to loose your freedom? In the U.S. you're either free or incarcerated. Time to see the dentist to have those missing teeth replaced. DUUHH
Thank you sickofit. You are exactly right. I don't care what lies are used to whitewash Bush and his cronies... I lived through the Bush years in Texas and the Bush years in D.C. Criminal who needs to be tried for war crimes.
Just like the demcrats that voted for it!!
I think in an ironic way, history will be kinder to Bush than Obama. Obama had a chance for the big picture view of a decaying economy four years ago, and yet, he's seems to have concentrated on socializing health care ( job almost done ) and running for office. His campaign aspirations will be toast– shortly
He will receive high marks for the war on terror.
High marks for an unjust war? High marks for making the country even more of a target? Please... He should be in Guantanamo since he is the worlds biggest terrorist. No one in history has done more harm to this country than Geoge Bush and his puppet master Dick..
Thanks for the hyperbole. You're not in the position to judge the entire 230+ years of the history of the United States so you may want to avoid absolute statements like that one.
I miss my early 20's and weed too.
Spoken like a true idiot!
Exactly! i was bitterly disappointed he wasn't frogmarched off the podium and onto a plane to the Hague during Obama's inauguration. When history starts being kind to Hitler, then it can start being kind to Bush the Lesser. the man, and i use that term in the loosest possible way, is a war criminal who deserves to spend the rest of his life Under Club Fed. usurping the presidency set the tone for his totally illegal, immoral rule. an illegal, unwarranted war of vendetta against a country because its leader 'messed with Daddy.' the atrocity of Katrina, the ruining of our economy by squandering the surplus he inherited and turning it into a massive deficit, the ridicule he brought down on this country from the rest of the world, i could go on all day. i can't believe there are people blind enough to think anything this evil, stupid man did was good.
You need to check and see what socialism is before you use it as a name-calling techinique. The "market system" has had ever since the end of WWII to get medical insurance to everyone, but Noooo, we want capitalism at all costs while thousands of people die every year because they have no health insurance, and so, no health care. (As reported in the New York Times recently). Hopefully the Affordable Healthcare Act will withstand the politics of the right-wing court.
Yes, the economy is in decay. And on whose watch did the economy turn from a budget surplus under Clinton to the worst recession since the Great Depression? Oh, that's right, history will not forget, it was George Bush, the same guy who was president when the Twin Towers came down. Obama's economy may be improving slowly, but it is CERTAINLY improving compared to the 700,000 jobs per month we were losing under Bush. And Obama didn't just TALK about getting Bin Laden, he actually got him (primarily because he was NEVER in Iraq).
Obama's problem is his quest for the bipartisan boast. he is like King Pelinore from Arthurian legend questing after a beast that doesn't exist. Once the Republicans showed their true nature as the party of no and of obstructionism, he should have dropped the bipartisan schtick and just pushed his agenda. I think dems wouldn't have lost the seats in the last election and probably would have gained a few.
The answer is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Well, his poll numbers have risen quite a bit. Depending on which one you look at, he has actually polled as high as Obama. AP-GfK poll in May 2011 had his favorability nationwide amoung adults at 50%. Based on the trend (he left office at around 35%), its only likely to go up more.
A favorability poll of Bush today is not the same thing as how "History" will view him. The same hillbilly idiots who voted for Bush are simply defending their votes. When objective people in the future read about what Bush did to this country, his numbers will slide to near the bottom of all presidents and stay there.
history is usually kind to the mentally challenged...that would include the supremes who elected him
(Barbara Bush looks stoned in this picture. Not the best public relations work here.)
Bush will be remembered as a liability to his party and a failure to his office, and this is from someone who voted for him. Believe me, I am not pleased with his role – Cheney was far worse. At least both of them were actual U.S. citizens.
Uh, that's Laura, not Barbara. And I don't believe YOU are an actual U.S. citizen. You can show me your birth certificate and introduce 50 people who witnessed your birth in Cleveland, but I have decided you are not a citzen and no amount of proof will convince me.
Honest mistake – meant to type Laura and typed Barbara instead. The rest of your comments make no sense. Buy a dictionary and take a typing course. I'm sure the local shelter can help you find a temp job, too. My tax dollars at work.
Look at Michelle! Where did she get that white dress with the huge flowers. Standing beside Laura you can see who has NO class.
You would say the same thing about Michelle no matter which dress she wore. It is not really about the dress, is it?
Thank you for sharing your stupidity "fedup".
Oh no! His party looks on him as a template: put up a good front man, and you can get away with anything.
I think her bath salts are starting to kick in.
Nope. Worst president since James Buchanan.
Will history be kind to George W.Bush? Well it shouldn't since he's nothing but a war criminal for maliciously starting the war with Iraq in 2003! Then again, history is not kind to neither Adolf Hitler nor Benito Mussolini. These are three peas of the same pod!
100 % agree on that one. I just feel sorry for Laura having to live with this dotz.
That a boy Travis; when you know nothing about anything it's best to bring up Hitler. It at least makes you feel smart.
Sorry, lol, but the comparison is totally spot on! we'll never know for sure how many innocents' blood is on this monster's hands, but it's in the tens of thousands. apparently, you were swilling the Kool-Aid big time during his whole regime. try listening to something besides Faux News for a change and try dipping your toe in reality, you might like it.
I mean they even have a law for drones like you. It's called Godwin's Law.
It's called Godwin's Rule. Look it up.
It's called Godwin's Law and also known as Godwin's Rule. Look it up.
only after we are all dead and can't say what really happened. Thank God for Michael Moore.
Thank you, truebob. I feel the same way.
Bush should be in prison somewhere for what he has done to this country. Makes me sick remembering how good we had it when Clinton was in office and then the horrible 8 years under GWB. No history will not be kind to him he gave us no reason to do so.
Amen!!!!!!!
W's 8 years as President were a disaster for this country, the extent of which will only be increasingly clear over time. The only way he won't go down as the worst President of my lifetime is if the Republicans manage to elect somebody even less qualified (President Palin, anyone?). That being said, he's been a very good ex-President so far.
The only thing worse than W has been the GOP's 'Anyone But Obama' campaign for the last 3.5 years. What is WRONG with them? It seems they'll do anything BUT serve the PEOPLE.
Of course history will be kind to President Bush, once all the pettiness dies away. He inherited a foreign nightmare created by his predecessor whose highlights included the actions that led to the real life "Blackhawk Down;" purposely letting Osama Bin Laden go; and the bombing of aspirin factories to take the limelight away from his adulterous personal life.
Had Al Gore, the man who could not even identify the image of George Washington, been President instead we likely would have had a new normal in this country, life with frequent terrorist attacks (as was predicted right after September 11). The man has no backbone to even live as he preaches, and would have been more likely to demand the terrorists switch to less polluting forms of terrorism than actually trying to stop them.
President Bush did what he thought was right. He made some mistakes, but he didn't pass the blame onto others like the man who followed him who is blameless for all. While the economy faltered during President Bush's administration, he didn't try to purposely push it over the edge by spending every last dime belonging to our great grandchildren five times removed and didn't ram a healthcare bill that has no bigger aim than controlling every step of our lives and breaking the backs of small businesses.
From 2008 to now, unemployment is beyond belief, prices are soaring, crime is up, racial tensions are at an all time high, people are being driven out of their homes in bigger numbers than ever.
Finally, looking back at all the things President Obama said were wrong about President Bush's administration, like Guantanamo Bay... How many of those decisions did he reverse??
Yes, I think President Bush will be looked back at very fondly, especially sandwiched in-between Presidents Clinton and Obama.
Ah, yes, President Bush: the beginning of blame anyone else and take no responsibility governing. May I remind you that 9/11 HAPPENED ON HIS WATCH!
Yes, the worst terrorist attack on American soil ever occurred while HE was in charge. He ignored the warnings. It's all his fault and nothing will ever make me believe anything otherwise. All his counterclaims to the contrary didn't fly with me or many other Americans.
Don't get me started on the 2000 election. I live in Florida and I never trusted his brother. It was hinky from the beginning. Don't tell me there wasn't dishonesty there. I live here and I saw it happen. It makes me sick there was no recusing by Jeb. That family is as crooked as a dog's hind leg.
"DUBYA'S" administration just rammed the "PLAN D" drug plan down peoples throats without even having it paid for, and it still isn't. "HOT TUB TOM DELAY" held the vote over quite a few hours, just to get enough votes for it to pass. Seems like I remember that history was kind to him too !!! And by the way, neither the Iraqi or Afghanistan war were ever paid for. Futhermore, "DUBYA" had to sign off on the first 700/800 HUNDRED BILLION before he left office, all the while whining for OBAMA to come on in and take control. The country was totally out of control under "DUBYA" !!!!! Personally, I would've voted hima third term, just so people would have reall gotten a "BELLYFULL OF DUBYA AND HIS REPUBLICANS". As for OBAMA and his situation, "IT'S HARD TO GET UP ON TWO LEGS WITH AN ELEPHANTS A$$ SITTING ON YOU" !!!!!!!!!!!
History kind to a mass murdering president? Naaaaaa First of all he's murdering president who, along with his co-conspirators: Daddy, brother Marvin, PNAC, Cheney, and on and on... killed thousands of his own people on 911 then invades a country or two and kills millions of innocent people for oil in Iraq and the opium fields in Afghanistan for the American pharmaceutical companies. How convenient! History may be kind to a fool like Bush because the majority of people are trusting and have absolutely NO critical thinking abilities; they simply believe what's been told to them.
History might be kind but God won't be.
You made a pact with the devil Shrub boy.... and the devil WILL collect. And baby... there aint no gettin out of that. Pray to Jesus maybe. lololol
George W. was funny and charming at the portrait unveiling. It was easy to see the man that almost 50% of voters chose in 2000 – the ex-drinker people thought would be great to have a beer with.
It must be nice not to have the pressures of the world on your shoulders any more.
I think the history books will paint G.W.Bush as someone who was well-intentioned but was in well over his head. History should also praise the people that loyally supported him, like C.Powell and C.Rice, but criticize the Machiavellian apparatchiks who G.H.W. hired to look after his litte boy and who overthrew his administration from within with their ideological purity and destructive partisanship.
You have the real story right there
History will be hyper-critical of Bush. He leans to the political right. Only leftists get historical whitewash.
Reagan?
I think history will be cognizant of the February 7, 2001 New York Times front page headline, "Ex-Aide to bin Laden Describes Terror Campaign Aimed at the U.S." and that instead of railing against the liberal mainstream media, they should have been reading it and taking it seriously.
I think history will be equally cognizant of the fact that the administration's clueless actions in Iraq and the deaths of hundreds of thousands (over a million by some accounts) innocent civilians will have sparked generations of new terrorists that generations of us will have to deal with.
If history looks kindly on George W. Bush, it will be because his GOP sycophants have pulled a "1984" on us.
Since Bush wasn't really running things, I think the bigger question is, "Will history be kind to Cheney?"
Darth Cheney? No. He also has brain damage from being on bypass machines so many times.
The man leaves office, goes into hibernation for 4 years, then accepts a portrait at the White House. I predict we'll see him in another 4 years for some other unimportant ceremony. Why has he vanished? You would too if you're the worst President ever. Good riddance dumb dumb !
No. He'll be lucky if he doesn't go down in history as a tyrant who committed crimes against humanity
Simply put, GWB ranks as one of the 3 worst presidents of all time. He's a friggin' idiot. And BTW, what's with the glassy-eyed zombie stare of Laura Bush?
She's high on bath salts.
Like many things time will tell. Like it or not Bush will probably be viewed favorably because of his handling of 9/11. Iraq was a fiasco. It was a sad time in American history. Obama will probably be viewed unfavorably because of the terrible economy even though that is not all under his control. How either are viewed is all a matter of perception.
Hmmm lets see...from what I remember immediately after 9/11 he went into hiding. He was more concerned about the Laden family that he flew them out even when no one else was allowed to fly.then he attacked Iraq that had nothing to do with 9/11 killed off all the christians there. Never let go an opportunity to let Bin Laden go. Allowed exporting of millions og jobs. never paid a bill that he had charged
If democracy somehow takes hold in the middle east Bush will be looked upon more favorably.
Sarah Palin will become president long before that happens.
Or he would be looked up favorably if Mitt Robmey wins in November and Bains America
Hard to believe that it ("History") could be! He's the guy that lied us into the bogus "WMD" Iraq war that broke the U.S. economy, and killed and maimed tens of thousands of Iraqi's and Americans!
The painting looks ok, but nothing great; in a way, it symbolizes the quality of today's politicians. Comparing Bush Jr. and Obama is like comparing Coolidge and Hoover; they were both disasters to this country, but in each their own special way. Our country hasn't had a 'great' president in over 60 years, sure we've had plenty of good ones, but...sadly, given the state of election politics, it's money and connections that determines the presidential or other political candidate, not talent, genuine statescraft or leadership skills; that's why this country will NEVER have a Lincoln or Roosevelt-type president ever again.
We should always be kind to those with cognitive disabilities.
Wishful thinking.
With short-view and a pinch alcohol and the believe that historical thruths exist like bubbles, every past can be polished like gold – and it shines with heroism, braveness and what ever! But probably Obama who came after Bush, became president with too many expectations, many had seen in him a real prophet and some one who could make it all right easily – like a miracle man. German newspapers suddenly claimed him 'highly intelligent,' because there ought to be a personal reason, why a black man manage to be president of the US! But he is still something like an afront againt the white and genorous american image, germans like to see in Winnetou and John Wayne movies and in the 80ies on TV like Denver-Clan, The Carringtons and Dallas, that is similar to G.W. Bush and JR. Iving (Larry Hagman) Obama even criticize european politics, it's unacceptable! G.W. Bush shaked hands nicely. He never had anything to say to young people, no vision and his wars were terrible. "Evil exits" and all this – later on, even torture, but top secret and without transparancy. Foreign Interest in crude oi and the rest was drawn by culture imperialism: Guantanamo Bay had some prisoners, who ought to come to different countries to spend the rest of their years, but nobody wanted to take any of them. Even Germany was asked and rejected it. You can't say, that Obama didn't try to stick to his promises.
When an Irak man threw a shoe to Bush, I clapped my hands. In my eyes, Bush failed totally. He could have introduced a total different politics years before. But there was only tax cuts, spending, bad movies from U.S. and no engagement in climate conferences or global human rights acts – so it was superfical, easy-politics and damaged the view on american people badly. This won't be forgotten so easily!
Hell with all the bull that is flying around he could be made out to be our greatest president ever. The American population has a 3 month memory and a total lack of understanding the fundamentals of anything. So who knows
Timothy Stanley can't be a real historian if he thinks the guy that got us into 2 unfunded wars, who repealed all the market safeguards put in place after the Great Depression, who dishonored America with his non-service in Vietnam can be compared to the man who ended WW2, who fought the unions, who integrated the military, and who helped curb the expansion of Communism. Bush is a total loser – Truman is a real American hero.
History has already been kind to Bush, otherwise he'd already be in prison!
G.W.B, should be tried for murder!!!
Wow! All these harsh statements. I wonder how history will remember all of you?
If anybody finds out the truth it won't be pretty.
He will go down in history as the great president before the incompetent one.
W led an administration that intentionally lied to the American people and the world so they could leverage 9/11 to get a for-profit for-oil invasion of Iraq whose government had nothing to do with the 9/11/2001attack. Then, there's the Great Recession into which the GOP = last led by W – led the United States. Just like the GOP led America into the Great Depression after the 1920s, the last time in history before the GOP's run of extended major control from 1994 – 2008 that they had had such a run of control. The only way history remembers W well is if propaganda people write the history versus actual historians writing it. Sort of like propaganda people were the people likely behind this article.
Face it, when Pelosi said impeaching Bush was off the table, many of us were outraged and lost our respect for the Democrats. Bush got away with mass murder, ruining our economy, giving away nuclear technology for mangos, you name it, he did it. This man was a total idiot, and liar. There should be a Federal Law, no more Bushes, ever.
Well put, and everybody please know that the Bush family is not from Texas, they just act like they are, I was born in Texas, and I'am ashamed he ever was the Gov., of Texas, and as a President, I feel Dick Cheny had strings moving Bush through the decision to go to war, knowing they did not have all the info.
History will catch up with his BS, he can't hide it.
An Idiot for a president will be remembered!
When I was young people used to say that Eisenhower proved that the country could do without a president for 8 years. Bush may have out done Eisenhower.
Say what you want but the facts are:
Obama has followed (or even increased the intensity) of virtually every policy Bush had in prosecuting the war and in trying to save the economy.
And no else has to bear the heavy responsibility of being the one person ultimately responsible for protecting the country on the day it was attacked and close to 3,000 died. No one else was in his shoes and no one else can judge his actions subsequently.
No, History will not be kind to him. He could not put two sentences together if his life depended on it. Dick was president anyway. The GOP and these two idiots drove the Country into a ditch by deregulating Business and marching into a made-up war in Iraq.
Historians – as opposed to journalists and Liberals – aren't stupid and don't have such a simplistic and hypocritical political agenda. Bush will go down in history as the last great American President – and Obama as the first President of our Decline and Fall. Bush LIBERATED 40 million people in two countries. Obama sold out twice that many Eastern Europeans to Neo-Soviet Russia.
You have "history" and "fantasy" mixed up again.
Let's hope history doesn't come across your note. They will be scratching their heads, wondering why they have missed a substantial record of his deeds. What you say here never happened.
Did you have stock in Hallyburton, did you profit off an unjust war? Because that is the only way you can be happy with Bush. Or did you just crawl out from under a rock, and miss the real world lived through with Bush as Pres.?
Totally agree Cheney needs to be beatified ASAP
As a republican I still will say that President Bush was more of an incompetent dupe than a criminal. The true criminals are his advisors who not only lied to and manipulated Bush but also lied to all of us..... this included the vice president, secretary of defense , etc....... I feel very sorry for Colon Powell who tried to stay loyal to his president as any good military man would..... but there finally came a time when ehtics and morality takes precedence over loyalty..... in fact I believe ethics should always come before loyalty........
Very refreshing to hear a republican admit he was a dunce, and that he did not fool us, we knew Cheny was the real President, and that was very, very, scarey, and dangerous, still is.
History seems to indicate that Bush was the worst president by far even beyond Nixon or any of the other scandalous presidents. You cannot forget that the Bush family profit from war or the lives lost to war just to stop picking on him to be nice. When the GOP want to distance themselves from their own GOP president, you know something is wrong.
He did make progress by ending some of the inhumane treatment in the World namely Iraq but he also gave us a clear example of what kind of president we don't want. Bush also taught us that the U.S. cannot afford to solve everyone's problems around the globe at our own expense. The consensus on Syria indicates that.
After 9/11, a real leader would have asked Americans to pay 50 cents more per gallon of gasoline, and then started a massive research and infrastructure movement to end our dependence on Mideast oil. Today, we'd probably be energy independent and have a booming new sector to the economy. Instead? Well, you know the rest ...
As kind as the Bush administration was to Dan Rather for telling the truth about Bush's military record. The truth will set him free. So that would be a "NO" on history being kind. More like accurate and let the chips fall where they may.
9/11 changed everything with respect to George W. Bush. He was, in many respects, an "accidental president", the son of a former president who did not exhibit any particular talent, distinctive ideals or defining experience before winning a disputed and divisive election. The attacks of 9/11 changed everything for Bush, and while he may have seen himself as a consolidator of the Reagan Revolution, he was forced to become much more. That is where his lack of imagination and achievement became his enemy. History will be sympathetic but not kind to George W. Bush.
Long live President George W Bush! He is a TRUE American.
I didn't know GWB was an Indian!!!! Hahahahahahahahahhaa
9/11 changed everything with respect to George W. Bush. He was, in many respects, an "accidental president", the son of a former president who did not exhibit any particular talent, distinctive ideals or defining experience before winning a disputed and divisive election. The attacks of 9/11 changed everything for Bush, and while he may have seen himself as a consolidator of the Reagan Revolution, he was forced to become much more. That is where his lack of imagination and achievement became his enemy. History will be sympathetic but not kind to George W. Bush.
John Pileggi
How would a president who restricts information flow be named?
Hummm... I wonder how FDR would have handled something like Wikieaks during WWII. It is always easy to ask the what ifs......
Yeah, the world will be safer place by all countries having full disclosure, so called transparent wars!!!
The info constipo?
It is always easy for the Monday morning quarterbacks to question wars as being evil, unnecessary, etc. since they never have to worry about them or deal with them, however, let's say that strangers come into your house (on your watch), punch your face and threaten that they will vandalize your home...... I don't know about the so called pacifists who would say fighting back is wrong and, thus, let them do it; but I will do my damndest to fight them back. That is 'war'....., it just happened that Bush was dealing with it. And, I would want Bush deal with it rather than how Obama would have dealt with it.
I would knock out the strangers who punched me in the face. Either that or I would start a war with Iraq that would cost your son's life while the "strangers" watched TV in a shack in Pakistan.
Let's imagine strangers coming in to my white house and destroying it and lying to the people...oh yeah... that was Bush.
If the truth is told there will be nothing kind to say about the corrupt Bush-Cheney junta.
If historians are going to say kind things about Bush, I hope they wait until after I am dead to do it.
The only way history can be kind to W is to overlook him completely.
I think Bush will be thought of fondly in the coming decades. He was a god guy who was incredibly unlucky in the events of his presidency. It is too early to say whether Obama will be remembered for anything he did, except maybe promising way too much. Oh and he got the nobel peace I'm pretty sure.
Anyway, I liked Bush and I still like Bush, even if he had a few blunders he was a great guy.
Yeah, like starting a war with Iraq to find non-existent WMD that cost a few thousand lives and a coupla trillion dollars. What's the big deal? He's a nice guy! And VERY funny too! Did you see the bit with him pretending to look for WMD in the oval office, under the couch and what not? Hilarious! (unless of course, you're one of the dead soldiers. For some reason, none of them laughed).
don't forget the stealing of the White House originally, and the guiding of intelligence so that he could get revenge for his father (at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives). Yea... nice guy. I want to give him a bid to my fraternity.
Of course history won't be kind to him.
Retrospect is manufactured by the media, which these days has become dysfunctionally liberal. It's nearly impossible to find moderates (the closest thing being CNN until recently).
Revisionists will not only modify the deeds, but also the results as they have with Reagan and Clinton. It's only a matter of time until they begin to do their hatchet jobs on Bush.
I'm not a fan of jr, but the way. I just had the way that extremism has taken over this country.
It's obviously not easy being the President of the United States. And we've all heard Dubya speak of his regrets. The question that will always remain is whether his shortcomings were the result of hanging with the wrong crowd or just simply being inept. Best guess is that it was a bit of both. Though I'm just glad things didn't get real "nukular like".
Perhaps Mitt will choose him as President Vice
History will not be kind. Too many screw ups with no successes, unless screwing up is considered a success. Shrub did follow through with anything that was undertaken. Nice guy – abject failure as a leader.
ROFLMOA. It cracks me up when people talk about how bush kept us safe when the biggest terrorist attack in American history happened on HIS watch. They won't give Obama credit for getting Bin Laden... BUT Bush kept us safe? Give me a break. Project for the New American Century: Rebuilding America's Defenses. Who was on the board of directors? Jeb Bush, Paul Wolfritz, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld. They said we needed to fight THREE major theatre wars, named Iraq, Iran and North Korea as targets, said Americans would go for such wars due to the spector of Vietnam unless some type of attack occured, and this was written in 1999! Conspiracy THEORY? No theory to it. Its fact.
In a word, "No."
President George W Bush is a Great hero.
I think you meant Gyro!!!!!! Hahahahahahahaha
Dubya is competing for worst president ever... and winning. He'll be happy with that victory I suppose.
I can't think of anything that Dubya did well.
How about telling a lie? He was good at that!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahahahaha
I didn't vote for either Bush or Obama, nor am I really a fan of either. That being said, George and Laura are a class act, especially when compared to the crude, classless, clueless Barry Obummer and the Mooch , who are fit to kiss the feet of the former.
With out a doubt, history will have to tell the whole truth, unlike the Bush Admin. He and Cheny were liars, which in politics is common, BUT to take us to war, on lies, that was the worst of his Admin.
I hope he never gets a moments rest till he dies, seeing all the faces of the fallen Americans HE put into an unjust war.
They got fat and rich off the wars, now the GOP wants to give the 1% MORE taxs breaks, where does their greed end?
the lying historians, many of those, will be more than generous.
i think several appear on GPS, OTHER CNN "NEWS" AIRINGS
Oh really, well let me see: He crashed our economy, threw us into a pointless war and was generally a puppet to Cheney and big business.
No, Bush has probably been the worst president in American history so far, worse than Nixon and Truman
Bush was selected to be president so an agenda that was decided by certain groups and countries could take place. That agenda was trumped by Murphy's Law and the American people and the world have had to pay. Much of the recent US history since WWII remains very murky. The people could probably not be able to face the actual truth.
The Two George Bushes were Great American leaders.
Their True American love and legacies, will be remembered, forever.
God bless them!
Silly you!!!!
Don't you know that republicans don't believe in God and the teachings of Jesus. You know....the part about feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, curing the sick, assisting the elderly, and giving to the poor!!!!!!!
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
HOW? The man should be in prison!!! He's a murderer worse than Bin Laden.
Can someone name one positive thing bush ever did for the USA? He collapsed the world economy through deregulation, and got you entangled in 2 wars that have bankrupted the country. Ohhh, and the reputation of the USA went down the toliet big time under his leadership.
bush the terrorist and traitor, the war criminal and serial murderer. If there is a God, this blood clot will forever burn in hell with the minions that voted for him.