How will history rank Bush?

[Charles Martel]

This?


1. Abraham Lincoln
2. George Washington
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Thomas Jefferson
5. Theodore Roosevelt

.
.
.

38. Herbert Hoover
39. James Buchanan
40. Andrew Johnson
41. George W. Bush
42. Warren Harding


* Note that there are only 42 unique presidents. Bush is chronologically number 43 because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms, and is counted twice.

[mids]

Why isn't Barack H. Obama at number 1? Are you a racist?

[flatandy]

1 - Jimmy Carter
2 - FDR
3 - JFK
4 - Jefferson
5 - Lincoln
.
.
38 - George HW Bush
39 - Ford
40 - Nixon
41 - Reagan
42 - GWB

[jimboky]

After 9/11/01 you couldn't find anyone who thought there would not be another attack on the US during Bush's term, yet over 7 years later there hasn't been.
W I think will be in the top 20

[puffin]

The amount of extra internal security measures is likely to have a lot more to do with the lack of attacks than anything GW has done.

History has a strange way of altering perceptions. Who knows how he'll be viewed after a few favourable Biographies go into the libraries and people's memories fade.
At the moment he has to be at, or near, the bottom of the list almost everywhere in the world.

[VikingHumpingWitch]

I think anyone could tell you where Bush will be ranked. A more pertinent question is what are the hordes of low-quality stand up comedians going to do for material now?

[mids]

Well some are still going on about Thatch, so...

[mids]

Here's a good, unbiased, independent, highly accurate article about the Bush legacy.

www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4241865/History-will-show-that-George-W-Bush-was-right.html

[wetkingcanute]

In Africa Bush will be remembered for the $Billions he allotted for the fight against AIDS and other good causes.

(There are already many Roads and Buildings named in his honor.)

[minge tightly]

Yeah Bush has a good reputation in Africa and ultimately, the fate of Iraq will decide the favouribility of Bush in the history books.

If it becomes a fully functioning democracy, even in 10/20 years time, it will reflect very well on Bush

[drlong]

Near the bottom. Ahead of Hoover and Carter and perhaps Buchanan but that is about it.

[SKYBLUE]

43. Barney the purple dinosaur
44. Teletubbies
45. Grotbags
46. Wizbit
47. Clinton
48. Nixon
49. Reagan
50. GW Bush!

[newyorker]

Ronald Reagan near the top, below George Washington and Thomas jefferson, but just, they were the founding fathers of the nation after all.

Because without Reagan, we'd all be speaking Russian and eating borsch, while trying to get an apartment with only two other family's sharing it.

[Charles Martel]

I think history will mostly remember Bush for missed opportunities, bad tactical errors, and embarrassments.

jimboky is correct that after 9/11/01, the only thing America could do was fight back. But the manner that Bush prosecuted the war on terror ultimately fractured the world alliance against Muslim terror. He missed a key opportunity to use the 9/11 and Beslan to reduce the tension with Russia - a mistake that may have consequences for years to come. He missed the opportunity to catch Osama bin Laden when he was cornered in Tora Bora.

Then there is the litany of embarrassing leaks, scandals and cover-ups, perhaps none so infamous as the Scooter Libby scandal.

Economically, Bush oversaw a spiraling national debt and federal deficit. The budget was not even balanced once even during years of growth. By the end of his term, the economy blew up in his face because he failed to recognise the problems and rectify its flaws.

Perhaps history will be kinder to Bush over Katrina because (far) worse disasters have happened under the watch of other administrations. However, it was yet another sign of the general unpreparedness of the administration to deal with contingencies as they arise. Along with the woeful wrong miscalculations over the rebuilding of Iraq after the war, the administration demonstrably failed because it became reactive (often too late) to events rather than being proactive.

As to Iraq, there will always be questions over whether it was necessary to invade the country. However, the ultimate decider is not so much the lead up to the war as to what followed. Had certain actions been taken (or not taken), the situation could have turned out entirely differently. Even if Iraq became asuccessful country in 10 or 20 years, it will be the result of right decisions (and luck) from here onwards, because Bush had evidently failed to secure the peace under his watch.

[jimboky]

Hurricans are nothing new to the Gulf Coast of the US, the first responders have always been first Local, then state, then the Feds.

The Mayor of New Orleans botched his response, then chose to blame Bush rather then admit he screwed up, he had hundreds of school busses after all.



I agree Bush did spend much to much, thus I only gave him top 20's rather then the top 10's



The last attack on the US was 9/11/01

[Scooby Do]

About equal with Nixon

[Deleted]

I'd put Bush and his supporters on a par with a troupe of chimpanzees.

[Charles Martel]

I'd put the mental faculties of oneofthelessergods on par with prokaryotes.

[newyorker]

Bush will be rated above Nixon, and Carter, and below Clinton.

[Deleted]

You pregnant dog, Martel