Thursday, April 25, 2013
How will history remember George W. Bush?
Today is the opening ceremony for the George W. Bush presidential museum in Dallas-- a ceremony that will be attended by five living presidents: Both Bushes, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama. By all accounts, it will be an interesting and worthwhile museum, with a focus on tough choices and the importance of volunteerism and public service.
It's a bittersweet day for Baylor, which was not selected for the site of the museum, despite a strong campaign. Still... the land acquired for that project is not being used for a new football stadium, so it was not a total loss.
How will George W. Bush be remembered?
It's hard to come up with any undisputed successes, but that is true for most presidents, I think. Still, what would you rank as the most important successes and failures of the Bush administration?
Comments:
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I think Iraq was more of a failure than a success. I can't blame President Bush entirely for the quagmire that Afghanistan has become completely, because the Obama Administration has certainly had a hand in the mission creep that's going on over there. I could go on and on (No Child Left Behind, Department of Homeland Security), but Iraq's the big failure for me.
Successes...I know the auto industry bailouts were unpopular (at least, they were in my little corner of Kansas), but haven't the Big Three turned things around? It certainly seems like you don't hear as much today about what bad shape GM, Ford, and Chrysler are in.
Successes...I know the auto industry bailouts were unpopular (at least, they were in my little corner of Kansas), but haven't the Big Three turned things around? It certainly seems like you don't hear as much today about what bad shape GM, Ford, and Chrysler are in.
# posted by 
: 6:37 AM
: 6:37 AM
It is still a bit early for a legitimate historical appraisal of this president. Check back with me in a decade or two.
What we can say now: historians love counter-narratives and reappraisals. More importantly, historians love to focus on instances in which contemporaneous public opinion exaggerated blame and undervalued merit. For Bush, historians will survey a wide field of extremely harsh reportage and unfairness. Historians will enjoy unravelling so much of the analysis and reporting during his administration that was too often filtered through a ugly filter sometimes called "Bush Derangement Syndrome."
We'll see.
In re Baylor and the Bush Library: it is amazing to me that I had actually forgotten most of the library drama until I read your remembrance. I will tell you that the "bittersweetness" is probably much less potent than you might imagine. The Starr era of peace and grace is something quite extraordinary. BU is just in a very different place than it was in those days.
What we can say now: historians love counter-narratives and reappraisals. More importantly, historians love to focus on instances in which contemporaneous public opinion exaggerated blame and undervalued merit. For Bush, historians will survey a wide field of extremely harsh reportage and unfairness. Historians will enjoy unravelling so much of the analysis and reporting during his administration that was too often filtered through a ugly filter sometimes called "Bush Derangement Syndrome."
We'll see.
In re Baylor and the Bush Library: it is amazing to me that I had actually forgotten most of the library drama until I read your remembrance. I will tell you that the "bittersweetness" is probably much less potent than you might imagine. The Starr era of peace and grace is something quite extraordinary. BU is just in a very different place than it was in those days.
Campbell-- Bush was right and i was wrong about the auto bailouts. History has proved that.
WF-- It's good to hear from an actual historian! I do think the unravelling process is remarkable.
WF-- It's good to hear from an actual historian! I do think the unravelling process is remarkable.
A good man who did his best under trying circumstances. His high points were in the response to 9/11, African AIDS initiative, and guidance through the economic meltdown(which he did NOT cause). The clear missteps would be the unfunded prescription drug fiasco, Iraq and most particularly, the immediate aftermath. Biggest miss, the failure of his initiative for immigration reform. Had that succeeded, the Republican Party might look very different indeed!
# posted by : 9:37 AM
: 9:37 AM
Success: his massive commitment of resources to combat AIDS through his President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) saved millions of lives. A bold humanitarian effort.
Failure: We had the good will of most of the world after 9/11. He squandered it.
Failure: We had the good will of most of the world after 9/11. He squandered it.
# posted by : 10:09 AM
: 10:09 AM
His greatest accomplishment was in Africa in several ways, most notably in aids awareness and treatment.
Domestically, he met his goal of creating a non responsive and less relevant Federal government. He also designated a deep sea preserve.
Domestically, he met his goal of creating a non responsive and less relevant Federal government. He also designated a deep sea preserve.
Successes:
The Africa AIDS initiative was and is a great success.
His willingness to take strong action with TARP and bailout efforts during the 2008 financial meltdown were admirable, especially when you consider the direction many GOP politicians would have gone if a Democrat had been President.
The Iraq surge was a success. In the end, it appears that invading Iraq was based on emotion and bad intelligence and we probably should not have done it. Or we should have planned the occupation stage better. But so far as I can tell, Iraq is not currently the source of a lot of international problems. Sure, there's bloody infighting there, but that, sadly, is the way the Middle East is operating right now and will for a while.
-Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind and Tax Cuts. Successes for Bush and his team. He got what he wanted without nearly as much drama and trouble as Obama has put himself and the country through in accomplishing his goals. Whether these are good ideas are another question.
Failures
-His country boy persona and pretend lack of gravity diminished the office. Bush is a well educated, smart and clever guy. Watch his debates with Anne Richards in 1994. He is not the goober the Press tried to create and that he played along with. He seemed to think it was politically savvy to go with that approach. He allowed himself to become this caricature of the dumb and clueless rube.
-Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind and Tax Cuts.... Failures because they cost so much.
-His inability to control spending.
-His preference for or his indifference to low interest rates that created the housing boom. Reagan, to his credit, allowed Volcker and the Fed to crush inflation in the early 80's. It was painful and hard medicine to swallow. Bush and his people and the Greenspan Fed propped up a sick post tech boom economy with low interest rates for 6 plus years. A small recession in 2000-2002 would have been preferable to the crash.
-Iraq 2003-2007. The invasion was great... but then... WTH!!!?!
-Afghanistan. Again, no planning for what happens NEXT.
The Africa AIDS initiative was and is a great success.
His willingness to take strong action with TARP and bailout efforts during the 2008 financial meltdown were admirable, especially when you consider the direction many GOP politicians would have gone if a Democrat had been President.
The Iraq surge was a success. In the end, it appears that invading Iraq was based on emotion and bad intelligence and we probably should not have done it. Or we should have planned the occupation stage better. But so far as I can tell, Iraq is not currently the source of a lot of international problems. Sure, there's bloody infighting there, but that, sadly, is the way the Middle East is operating right now and will for a while.
-Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind and Tax Cuts. Successes for Bush and his team. He got what he wanted without nearly as much drama and trouble as Obama has put himself and the country through in accomplishing his goals. Whether these are good ideas are another question.
Failures
-His country boy persona and pretend lack of gravity diminished the office. Bush is a well educated, smart and clever guy. Watch his debates with Anne Richards in 1994. He is not the goober the Press tried to create and that he played along with. He seemed to think it was politically savvy to go with that approach. He allowed himself to become this caricature of the dumb and clueless rube.
-Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind and Tax Cuts.... Failures because they cost so much.
-His inability to control spending.
-His preference for or his indifference to low interest rates that created the housing boom. Reagan, to his credit, allowed Volcker and the Fed to crush inflation in the early 80's. It was painful and hard medicine to swallow. Bush and his people and the Greenspan Fed propped up a sick post tech boom economy with low interest rates for 6 plus years. A small recession in 2000-2002 would have been preferable to the crash.
-Iraq 2003-2007. The invasion was great... but then... WTH!!!?!
-Afghanistan. Again, no planning for what happens NEXT.
As I see it, he'll be remembered as a second-rate Lyndon Johnson. Like Johnson, his plans for a term filled with social programs and an era of good feelings were destroyed by a seemingly neverending and ill-planned war a hemisphere away; like Johnson, his brash, somewhat doofy Texan persona (which was, in the end, just a persona) ended up doing him more harm than good.
# posted by : 8:21 PM
: 8:21 PM
President Bush may have been smart enough. He lacked wisdom. He didn't need wisdom. He lived a life where often his actions didn't have consequences. When he misbehaved and floundered he was propped back up. He wasn't alone, many of us didn't think things wouldn't turn out, because they always had.
I would like to think he just didn't know because he never had to know. He never pretended to know. He was about instinct and principles. He was sure of himself and reassuring to enough folks. Considering the real human consequences of his actions this is the kindest way to think about him.
Towards the end of his second term I sensed that he came out of his bubble, looked around and did see the mess around him. I still don't know if he, even then, doubted his decisions.
I would like to think he just didn't know because he never had to know. He never pretended to know. He was about instinct and principles. He was sure of himself and reassuring to enough folks. Considering the real human consequences of his actions this is the kindest way to think about him.
Towards the end of his second term I sensed that he came out of his bubble, looked around and did see the mess around him. I still don't know if he, even then, doubted his decisions.
I was going to offer my list, but IPLawGuy did it for me.
Thus, I'll offer only my differences or supplements to his list, namely:
The invasion of Iraq was a mistake because Iraq has never succumbed to foreign control--ever, in all of history. Neither has Afghanistan. Thus, the goal in both places had to be either to (a) stay out or (b) better, have a specific mission, get in and leave (in the manner of 41 Bush).
A success no one has mentioned is that he brought integrity to the White House after the seedy, needy Clinton years (Bill's need to be loved and his administration's self indulgence). W is comfortable in his own skin, and well grounded.
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Thus, I'll offer only my differences or supplements to his list, namely:
The invasion of Iraq was a mistake because Iraq has never succumbed to foreign control--ever, in all of history. Neither has Afghanistan. Thus, the goal in both places had to be either to (a) stay out or (b) better, have a specific mission, get in and leave (in the manner of 41 Bush).
A success no one has mentioned is that he brought integrity to the White House after the seedy, needy Clinton years (Bill's need to be loved and his administration's self indulgence). W is comfortable in his own skin, and well grounded.
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