I am sorry but I do not have a single ounce of respect for that man. I start everyone off with the same level of respect and it is then their actions that decide if that level of respect goes up or down. Bush's has gone down to unprecidented levels.
I am far from a Bush fan and have been quite critical of him. However, do really think things will be better with Obama? He is already flip flopping on his many campaign promises. He promised change and the first thing he did was stack his staff with Washington insiders. He is starting to back out of great promises he made about economic recovery and even his treatment of war issues. Politics will continue as usual with even less experience and one party in total control. That is one scary thought! Giving the devil his dues, Bush is leaving office in a manner that can is very cordial and respectful to the incoming President.
Look at all of you making judgments about Bush, do you think anyone of you would have done a better job than him, i doubt it. And as a matter of fact after 9/11 America hasn't been attacked again, Why?? because of decisions that Bush made. He has not done anything to put the world economy in depression, it was his bad luck that it all collapsed in his term as President. The economic system has been rotting for far too long and now we are only seeing the consequences of it. I think everyone should stop judging him, because Short Term History more than not contradicts Long Term History, we never know he might be praised as one of the great Presidents of America. PS:- i don't endorse either democrats or republicans.
Perhaps we haven't been attacked again after 9/11 for the same reasons we weren't attacked prior to it, since Pearl Harbor: we actually have a decent Intelligence system. It should be one of the most basic arguments against the alleged 'Intelligence failure' that led to Iraq, and the reasons 9/11 happened in the first place. Bush will never be seen as a good US President, and will always be seen for his faults, because he rained over a desperate time in this country, and many of the decision he and his administration made will be the cause of a lifetime of trying to undo the damage. Would I personally have done better? Probably not, but I am not a politician, I don't want to be a politician, and so the point you make is moot. If you are asking if a different president may have done better, you bet your ass they would have. Now, if you are trying to point out that Bush's legacy will be considered that of which would have happened if the average idiot off the street was pulled in to run a country, then I agree with you. Even if Iraq end this ordeal as a stable democracy, and becomes a self sufficient, well organized, totally changed country from our occupation (which is unlikely), it won't matter. He will still have the damaged reputation that he left with, because there are hundred other examples of his incompetence.
Those were his promises not mine! He also can't spend his way out of it. Money borrowed has to be paid back at some time. Here is a thought, maybe he could let a free market work!
Perhaps if you only look at the stuff that is shown in the NEWS. As Bush said in one of his speeches go to Africa, Asia and many other places and things that are not talked about in the NEWS and you will see that Bush actually elevated USA status in those countries. An Example strengthening USA and INDIA ties, because of just this one policy of Bush administration USA has gained at least 1 Billion supporter which is more than the number you would have lost.
I think that was a good move. He grabbed a bunch of big names. I don't think he every said something like "I won't stock my cabinet with insiders"... So it's not really a flip-flop, as I wouldn't, personally, consider this something that I think he was referring to by "change." Are there any other examples of his flip-flopping? I'm interested... I haven't heard him back out of the economic promises. I've heard about his goals for job creation and such, but nothing about him backing out of anything. Also, about the war, he wants to close git-mo within a week. That's not progress? I don't think so; maybe I'm an optimist, but we'll see. Personally, I don't know if I would have; but I know there are plenty of other people that would have. Too many stubborn Americans that just wanted to vote for their party in '04, and now (as far as I'm concerned) some of them got foreclosed because of it. How would you know? You don't know me. Or... For the same reason we weren't attacked in the late '90s; we have people that try and stop that sort of thing. You don't see everyone praising Clinton for keeping us safe in the late 90s... ... and if he had "good luck" and sent the world into a fantastic surplus, you don't think he'd brag about it? Agreed, but there are things that could have been done instead of watching it all fall apart. No one should stop judging him. The more critical we get, hopefully the more selective we'll be when going to the voting booth. Hopefully we'll stop voting down party lines and look at the actual people and their views.
Actually, if we look at what wasn't in the news, or what he managed to keep under wraps for any length of time, things don't get better. As for strengthening our relationship with India, what was the cost for that? India's relationship with us was not particularly damaged, and while I will concede his policies were not as horrible of Africa's front, that does not negate even a small percentage of the harm that Bush has done. It has nothing to do with what is reported in the media. It has to do with the fact that he was not prepared to run this country, and he was certainly not prepared to do so at this time. Quite a bit of what happened did so because he was in office, and because of the decisions he made/failed to make.
@ oo87 -->> mate you need to get your facts straight you said US/INDIA relations were not damaged, then why was it that US had imposed nuclear embargo on INDIA, and why did INDIA had stronger military ties with RUSSIA not US, which by the way now has changed. And why did this improvement happen you might ask because of BUSH.
The problem with using Bush as a scape goat is that the Democrats have controlled Congress since 2006 and the Senate since 2004. The Democratic Party maintained control of the House from 1954 until 1995.
I have created a Farewell Video Just for the Occasion. I didn't want Dick and The Dubya to go without knowing how much I have appreciated them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS4xwQA-Uqg (and yes I know I spelled curricular wrong)