Bush in ten years

[RVFVS]

Right now a good portion of the world has a bad outlook on ole Bushy. Not me. But the rest of the world. So ten years passes. Obama fixes the economy gets a second term. He does...reasonably well. Then everyone looks at Bush. Now answer this question and try to imagine a fixed and strong America, would yu look at Bush differently?

[ray243]

Right now a good portion of the world has a bad outlook on ole Bushy. Not me. But the rest of the world. So ten years passes. Obama fixes the economy gets a second term. He does...reasonably well. Then everyone looks at Bush. Now answer this question and try to imagine a fixed and strong America, would yu look at Bush differently?

Are you saying I should view Bush in good light because the damage done can be fixed?

Is that what you are saying?

[Mikelus Trento]

I think he is saying when Obama repairs the economy and restores respect of America in the world we should give ol' George the credit?

Republican logic there.

[Heathen Hammer]

Although I really doubt Obama would "fix" anything, but..
Did rebuilding of Germany justify Hitler?

[RVFVS]

No, I mean in ten years will you all look back and say, "Hey now that I think about it he wasn't great but he wasn't terrible."

[Mikelus Trento]

No, I mean in ten years will you all look back and say, "Hey now that I think about it he wasn't great but he wasn't terrible."

Time will tell, as they say.

His approval rating is likely to improve with time, considering it was one of the lowest ever as he left. It only really has one way to go.

[danzig]

No, I mean in ten years will you all look back and say, "Hey now that I think about it he wasn't great but he wasn't terrible."

Possibly, if for example Iraq turns into a strong nation then the whole WMD things and reasons for the war generally get forgotten. I mean look at cuban missile crisis how people herald it as JFK great moment but ignore the fact his actions caused it. Same with Bush I think, if Iraq turns into a stable country the view on Bush would shift to far more positive.

[Hunter Makoy]

Godwin's law on post 4, is that a record?

Anyway, Obama will 'fix' the economy simply because his term just started. Recessions only last so long and will ultimately correct them selves eventually if they have too. For a President it is always best to have your recession as early as possible.

I think Bush will be looked at differently based on what Obama does. If Obama does some of the same things Bush was doing, it will vindicate him, if he does some different things and fail, it will make Bush look more right. Most people who know what they are talking about haven't criticized Bush much on this recession. His response was fast, and big, which is what we needed. Whether or not it works is up to the market, not Bush.

[Caelius]

Godwin's law on post 4, is that a record?

Yep, I think it is.

[GuineaPig]

Yep, I think it is.

Well, I think it was actually a valid point. He wasn't comparing Bush to Hitler, he was giving an example of a country that after facing complete economic and diplomatic destruction, has rebuilt itself tremendously. Without the credit going to the person who got them into those crises.

[DisgruntledGoat]

Godwin's law on post 4, is that a record?

Anyway, Obama will 'fix' the economy simply because his term just started. Recessions only last so long and will ultimately correct them selves eventually if they have too. For a President it is always best to have your recession as early as possible.

I think Bush will be looked at differently based on what Obama does. If Obama does some of the same things Bush was doing, it will vindicate him, if he does some different things and fail, it will make Bush look more right. Most people who know what they are talking about haven't criticized Bush much on this recession. His response was fast, and big, which is what we needed. Whether or not it works is up to the market, not Bush.

Judging bush just on a recession that began in the last 2 years of his presidency? Come on theres so much more to him than that. I agree with you, if you look at just what he did from October on he and Obama are very similar and people will probably, in the end, look at it favourably. But you are basically ignoring EVERYTHING else he did. From the invasion to Iraq, Gitmo, torture, spying on americans. Theres a lot there that made him the least approved president second only to Nixon and that says a lot.

[Heathen Hammer]

Godwin's law on post 4, is that a record?

It had little to do with. My point is that even if what he destroyed would be repaired still wouldn't justify destroying it.

[Hunter Makoy]

I was responding particularly to the economy because that is what was specifically brought up.

[Giuliano Taverna]

I can see Bush looking at a picture of Saddam Husein's statue being taken down, and remarking, "at least we did that."

[Georgy Zhukov]

I can see Bush looking at a picture of Saddam Husein's statue being taken down, and remarking, "at least we did that."

Yea, I could see that, probably in a Lifetime movie but yea.

[Viking Prince]

There is more to any presidency than the last news cycle. There is also a great deal to the Bush years outside of 9-11 and the economy. The economy is in bad shape, but this is not even the 1980's yet, let alone a Hoover/Rooseveldt Depression.

Excerpted from the Economist.com:

Mr Bush’s presidency is not without its merits. He supported sensible immigration reform. He proposed tighter regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the now-nationalised mortagage agencies. Congress stymied him on both points. He promoted more members of minorities than any previous president; and he also stood up to the Dixiecrat wing of his party, edging Trent Lott, a Mississippi senator, out of his job as majority leader for segregation-favouring remarks. He maintained good relations with India, Japan and, particularly, Africa, where he launched a $15 billion anti-AIDS programme.

On trade, too, Mr Bush’s heart was in the right place, though policy was at first subverted by political or strategic priorities. In 2002 he approved tariffs on imported steel to fulfil a promise Mr Cheney made to steelworkers in West Virginia, a state crucial to his 2000 election. That year he also signed a massive increase in farm subsidies so as not to antagonise farm-state congressmen facing election that autumn. But these early protectionist impulses gave way to a more stalwart defence of trade. Mr Bush resisted intense pressure from Congress to punish China for keeping its currency low. After Congress narrowly granted him streamlined authority to negotiate treaties, he pushed the Doha global free-trade agreement and a free-trade area of the Americas. These efforts failed in part because of other countries’ intransigence, notably India’s in the case of the Doha round. In the absence of a broader framework, his administration pursued bilateral trade deals, although often with countries chosen for strategic rather than economic value: Oman and Bahrain, for example, which host American military bases.

The frat boy ships out

[Shaun]

Right now a good portion of the world has a bad outlook on ole Bushy. Not me. But the rest of the world. So ten years passes. Obama fixes the economy gets a second term. He does...reasonably well. Then everyone looks at Bush. Now answer this question and try to imagine a fixed and strong America, would yu look at Bush differently?

The problem is that Obama will not fix the economy at all.

[Viking Prince]

The problem is that Obama will not fix the economy at all.

Not that there are a great many fingerprints from the Bush administration on the causes.

As I had posted, Bush tried and did not succeed at tightening the housing finance and securities industries. He did not tighten the government spending when the economy was doing well. But he also did not cause the current economy to be heading south. Certainly not the whole world economy. Bush and Obama are merely Presidents and not kings or rulers.

[Barack Hussein Obama]

While I've spoken out many times against the policies of the former administration I think Mr. Bush is a good guy at heart. Even if a little bit stupid.

[Augustus Lucifer]

I'm not sure his approval rating will change drastically in the next few years. What you have is people who might approve if they make the comparison that "well it worked out better than so-and-so because of X and Y" as opposed to viewing each in its own light. And then you have other people who will stick to their haunches, but probably if you asked them why they didn't approve of his presidency, would not be able to come up with much besides the overly publicized bits, and even those with a touch of propaganda.

Now, 100 years from now is a different story. We hardly remember now who had how many wives or did this or that of the past presidents. Some people remember Grant was a drunk but they also remember he was a successful war general. Approval rating equates to acquiescence rating, and once the events of the past presidency aren't nigh at hand and still to be solved, new generations will be able to take an objective view on the man.