For much of George W. Bush's second term, the president was the object of derision and jokes. Upon leaving office, he had quite a low popularity rating.
As time has passed, however, how does our previous president's reputation hold up? And how does it compare to our current president? Victor Davis Hanson has some answers and opinions.
George W. Bush left office in January 2009 with one of the lowest job-approval ratings for a president (34 percent) since Gallup started compiling them — as compared to Harry Truman’s low of 32 percent, Richard Nixon’s of 24 percent, and Jimmy Carter’s of 34 percent — and to the general derision of the media.
All that hysteria once led to Charles Krauthammer’s identification of “Bush Derangement Syndrome” — a pathology in which the unbalanced seemed to channel all their anxieties, frustrations, and paranoias onto George W. Bush. And yet, following 9/11, Bush had calmly led the nation and enjoyed one of the highest positive appraisals of any president since the advent of modern polling, when for months he registered a 90 percent approval rating; indeed, he averaged a 62 percent approval rating over his first four years.
Yet, as with all presidents, with time and a successor come perspective. So it is not hard to see why the out-of-office Bush’s likability ratings are slowly inching back up — most recently to 46 percent. For reflection on Bush’s eight years in office, take a look back at the six aspects of his presidency that harmed his popularity most.
He looked great after 9/11--until he used it as an excuse to lead us into a war based on lies, which has done huge damage to our economy, our reputation, the 5000 Americans who died for his lies.............
He doesn't look so good anymore.
Posted by: Chris | Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 03:09 PM
Of course, you are entitled to your opinions. Not, however, your own personal facts.
Facts are that virtually all of the Democrats in government then believed the same intelligence and had the same fears and supported the same war.
Facts are that more people have died in military action under Obama's 4 years than GWB's 8.
Facts are that although you may still have a very low opinion of GWB - more Americans have a higher one than when he left office.
And finally - facts are that whatever you think about the two presidents, the yardstick by which they are measured is quite different for the two. That is what is so wrong.
Posted by: Peg | Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 03:20 PM
This has happened two or three times in my lifetime. Nixon was reviled, but looked ok by the time Reagan came along. Reagan looked ok by the time Bush II came along, and Bush II will look ok in twenty years, also.
I think that what happens is that liberals listen to leftists and not conservatives when there is a conservative president, so they go along with all the crazy leftist rhetoric, then wise up later on (or if not them, then the centrists who read the liberal media). I think they also stop listening to the leftists when a liberal president comes along, but that's another issue.
Posted by: John Pepple | Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 10:32 PM
"Facts are that virtually all of the Democrats in government then believed the same intelligence and had the same fears and supported the same war."
We are talking about Bush, not Congress. Congress was mislead by the same lies that Colin Powell told the United Nations---remember that? You can't justify a lie by showing that it worked and fooled people--that just proves it was a good lie.
" Facts are that more people have died in military action under Obama's 4 years than GWB's 8."
What "facts" are these? The best report I can find, from the department of defense, show approx 3570 military deaths from hostile action under Bush, fewer than 2000 under Obama. https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report_by_year_manner.xhtml
"Facts are that although you may still have a very low opinion of GWB - more Americans have a higher one than when he left office."
Sadly true. Memories fade, people don't want to believe how badly they were lied to and used. On the other hand, notice how the Republican party didn't use him at all in this last election--did he make even a single campaign appearance? Even his supporters are ashamed of him.
Posted by: Chris | Sunday, January 06, 2013 at 11:32 AM
Republicans and Democrats had access to pre-Iraq war intelligence. Try googling statements made by Democrats prior to the war... Their statements were based upon intelligence found during the Clinton administration as well as the Bush administration. Fact.
As for the stats on military action -that was for Afghanistan. Read the article; that was the war to which Hanson was referring.
You may think that people have "forgotten" - and that is why Bush's ratings have gone up. I think that the reason is a few different factors. One big one, however, is that many (even some who voted for him a second time) are sorely disappointed with the current president. Many of the items which people screamed bloody murder about GWB - are items that Obama has not only continued, but carried to the next level.
On top of that, irrespective of people's beliefs about some of Bush's decisions as president - he was a classy guy. When the war in Iraq continued, he gave up golf. He couldn't see himself recreating in that way when people in our military were dying. Obama has already played something like 4 times as much golf as GWB did in office....
And vacations? As far as I am concerned, although I don't deny Obama and his family the right to enjoy vacations - I am embarassed at the way they party long and high and for millions upon millions of dollars with their travel for leisure.
I think that this contrast - a man who realizes that his actions speak for the entire country, and who thinks being circumspect when the country is enduring hard times - contrasts highly with the current president.
So - guess we do have at least some things to thank Obama for, after all.
Posted by: Peg | Sunday, January 06, 2013 at 01:52 PM
No president ever took more vacation time than W.
"During 2 terms as President, Bush took spent all of part of 477 days at Camp David, on retreats and made 77 trips to his Crawford Ranch, in Texas, where he spent all or part of 490 days, on his Ranch.
The total number of days of vacation or retreat President Bush took, while in office over a period of 8 years was 967 days, or 32% of his total time in office, was spent on vacations or retreats."
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_vacation_days_has_George_W_Bush_taken_as_president
You, Peggy, wrote "Facts are that more people have died in military action under Obama's 4 years than GWB's 8."
Now you are trying to move the goalposts. I'm not buying it.
Posted by: Chris | Sunday, January 06, 2013 at 02:50 PM
Again - sorry. I don't see a "retreat to Camp David" as being QUITE the same as going to Hawaii at a cost of somewhere between $7 to $15 million to the American taxpayers. Here's a description of Camp David:
Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States. It is located in wooded hills about 100 kilometers (62 mi) north of Washington, D.C., in Catoctin Mountain Park, near Thurmont, Maryland.[1][2][3] It is officially known as Naval Support Facility Thurmont and is technically a military installation; staffing is primarily provided by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Hour away from D.C. - "technically a military installation"... Doesn't quite compare - at least in my book - to multiple Hawaii visits (with the President and First Lady sometimes flying a few hours apart at God knows what cost differential) - to going to Camp David.
As for deaths - I was referring to the article to which I'd linked. That specifies Afghanistan. My not stating that is not "moving the goal posts" - it's not being complete in my reference to the column.
Posted by: Peg | Sunday, January 06, 2013 at 03:01 PM
I guess the 77 trips to Crawford were all on Southwest Airlines.
Posted by: Chris | Sunday, January 06, 2013 at 11:38 PM