He's almost gone . . .

[indianasmith]

OK, he's given his farewell address, he's bought a house in Dallas and the ranch in Crawford, his personal effects are already packed . . .

so what will history say about the 43rd President?  Is he truly, as some have said, the worst ever?  Is he a misunderstood victim of a hostile media and fanatical critics?  Is he really fairly average, neither as good as his supporters say nor as bad as his critics insist?

The purpose of this thread is not to debate, but simply to cast your vote and add any reasons why your choice fell where it did.  I am frankly curious . . . I know how I will vote, and how some of you will.

Above all, let's not turn this into a flame war.  Post your own opinion, but don't attack others for posting theirs.  Thanks for taking part!

[indianasmith]

Since I created the poll, I will go first.  I think Bush had a real shot at greatness, and fell short somewhat because of his stubborn nature and his inconsistent playing of the political game.

But, I don't think he fell that far short.  He was dealt a difficult hand, assuming the office in a disputed election under charges of fraud and having a great burden thrust upon him on 9/11.  The one question that his presidency will ultimately stand or fall on is that of the war in Iraq.  Was it justified?  Was it successful?

Although the case for WMD violations was greatly overstated, under international law, Saddam Hussein had violated every single condition of the cease-fire he agreed to at the end of the first Gulf War.  Taking him out was indeed justified.  The prosecution of the war after Saddam was ousted was not well-handled.  Rumsfeld was a likeable and intelligent man, but he was the wrong man for that kind of conflict.  However, eventually Bush realized that, shifted strategies, and the Iraq war is today virtually won.  If Iraq does indeed become a peaceful Middle Eastern democracy, Bush may in fact be looked on pretty positively 50 years hence.  If the democratic experiment there fails, he may be doomed to the bottom ranks of the previous Presidents, with hopeless cases like Warren G. Harding, Franklin Pierce, and Andrew Johnson.

As far as the current recession goes, how long it lasts and how severe it turns out to be will also color his record.  Our media constantly exaggerates every economic downturn in their frantic desire to promote one party over the other and create an atmosphere of fear and panic.  At 45, this is the fourth recession I have lived through.  It is worse than the 1990-91 recession, but not nearly as bad as the one in the late 70's.

At any rate, such are my opinions.

Time will tell the tale.

[RCMerchant]

I believe I have stated my position on this before...and got nailed hardcore....! 

Let's just say I'm not a fan.

[Rev. Powell]

I voted bad, but not the worst.

I liked his tax cuts in the first term.  And he responded very well on 9/11--although I honestly believe any President would have done much the same, given the attack on our soil and the extraordinary patriotism people felt in the wake of the attack.

After that came the Iraq invasion, which I believed was a complete disaster at the time and still do (although I don;t advocate a pullout--we broke it, we bought it).  I would be shocked if a democratic nation flourished in Iraq in the future; I just can't see enforcing democracy on people to whom it's a foreign concept, and who show little signs of wanting it.

All of the political capital he gained on 9/11 was thrown away in Iraq.  He couldn't effectively govern after that, so even if his policies would have been helpful, he couldn't pass them.  I like the spirit of the attempt at social security reform, but because he was so unpopular and failed so badly at it, he may have seriously damaged the prospects of ever getting the system fixed in the future.  People are going to associate SS reform with Bush for a long time.

To recap: bad, but not the worst.  He's no Andrew Johnson, didn't disgrace the office like Nixon.

[Saucerman]

I also voted bad but not the worst.  I'm in training to be a historian, and the biggest thing I can say is that it's too early to judge his legacy.  GWB's approval ratings were never as low as Harry Truman's were at his lowest, and 60 years down the line, we consider Truman to have been a pretty good President. 

I'm not saying that GWB will be judged, 50 years from now, to have been as good as we now generally consider Truman to be.  However, I think he will be judged better than Andrew Johnson, Harding, or Nixon.

[Jack]

Bad but not the worst.  I thought he did a good job with 9/11, of course, we never got Bin Laden.  Hard to believe that with unlimited resources we can't get one freakin' guy.  Bad with invading Iraq to get rid of weapons of mass destruction, which didn't exist, and having no exit strategy.  Whatsoever.  Running up the debt (and/or allowing it to be run up) another 5 trillion dollars.  Gotta give credit where credit is due:  no further terrorist attacks on US soil.

Like I say, bad but not the worst.

[Doctor Menard]

I did not see an entry for 'most worthless piece of human s**t to have ever inhabited the oval office', so I declined to vote.

I hope they can get rid of the f**king stench left in that office.

[Zapranoth]

My position would be that I'm glad yogurt-for-brains is out of the office soon.

He made me borderline embarrassed to be American, and he disgraced us before the world, and ourselves, with his idiocy and his astonishing lack of foreign policy, domestic policy, long term planning, or short-term planning.

Did I miss anything, Menard?

[akiratubo]

Lousy President, though not the worst.  I'm glad to be rid of him.

[Doctor Menard]

My position would be that I'm glad yogurt-for-brains is out of the office soon.

He made me borderline embarrassed to be American, and he disgraced us before the world, and ourselves, with his idiocy and his astonishing lack of foreign policy, domestic policy, long term planning, or short-term planning.

Did I miss anything, Menard?

Other than giving yogurt a bad name, I think you pretty well covered it.

[Captain Tars Tarkas]

It is a funny feeling to about to have a president who isn't a shameful disgrace.

[Torgo]

He's got the 2nd lowest approval rating since Nixon. Do I think that he's as bad or worse than Nixon? Only time will tell.

I couldn't really stand the man.  He had plenty of chances to take something and make good out of it but screwed up every single time.   

[RCMerchant]

I did not see an entry for 'most worthless piece of human s**t to have ever inhabited the oval office', so I declined to vote.

I hope they can get rid of the f**king stench left in that office.

I'm witha Good Doctor. Bush is a memberf a monopoly of a corrupt oil family. Some people need to go to war with me. I ain't scared of the Bush'es.

[Torgo]

[RCMerchant]

OK. This is the last time I get to get my shots in. George Bush Jr. is a moron. Why....on Gods green Earth would I defend or give kudos to  man who advoctes murder? If he wants revenge,cool! But,dammit! don't use public orfice to do it!!!

(yes,,,orfice!)

Yeah...I now Bonzo Goes to Bitburg has nothing at all todo with the price of eggs in China...but here it is....!

Nothing has to do with anything....in the long run.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8m2LpYGV0E