President Bush: How Will History Characterize Him?

Just as with any life event, President George W. Bush's bio will likely read a bit differently in the history books than in today's paper. All United States Presidents realize, long before Inauguration Day, that their term of office defines their legacy. This legacy will be a report card on their performance while in office. President Bush has some difficult spots on his record. This is not to say that all other Presidents don't earn some bad marks too. However, unless you have remarkably durable loyalty to a political party, it does look like his tenure will be reported as flawed. It's hard to think of an area where he's really stood out favorably on the results. Let's see.

The economy is doing poorly. In fact, a recent news story reported that fully 90% of the American public had a negative take on the economy. Not good numbers.

The price of oil has risen to the 'pain at the pump' and 'gas shock' level of terminology. We now have the 'stay-cation' as a household word. Whether this particular development should be laid at President Bush's doorstep, when middle class citizens are pawning wedding rings so Joe Average can get to work, people will tend to remember the President's oil connections in an unfavorable light. Unfair? Perhaps. Nonetheless, the connection will likely be recorded as legacy content.

Although campaigning in 2000 as a 'no nation builder', the President has done just that, to the tune of the public cost of young lives, our entire dollar surplus and a gigantic deficit. War is never the best answer.

Another major push instituted by President Bush was to put every American in their own home. You can do it, but everyone is now suffering the results.

President Bush was very big on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. However, six years later, American primary education has taken a dive when measured against other developed countries. Surely we can do better.

There's the issue of Katrina. The area affected by Katrina is the size of England. Here, years later, people are still displaced, their homes standing empty or destroyed. Truly a tragedy of monumental proportions. You can't help but remember, “Heck of a job, Brownie!”

Global warming was not real, until recently. Wildlife refuges are turned into oil fields. The American infrastructure is in shambles. You've got bridges, dams and freeways collapsing. Not a pretty picture.

Then there's the vacation time our President has enjoyed while working for us. We'd all like that vacation schedule. Maybe that's what keeps him so affable.

We can only hope that history will be kind.

One thing that will certainly be part of President Bush's legacy is the customary Presidential Library. Let's hope that there are some librarians in charge of choosing the books!

Summary

President Bush has had an interesting time in office. He seems to attract strife and trouble and has not been a very good leader by most folks opinion. It seems as if every program he has endorsed and backed has come up short. Hopefully history will be kinder to this president than current events and reporting are.

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