Barack Obama is now officially the 44th President of the United States. As George W. Bush leaves office, I'm sure we all have our own thoughts on his performance over the past eight years. Love him or hate him, it seems like most people feel strongly one way or the other. Here are my thoughts, in case you're wondering (and since you're reading this, you apparently are).
George W. Bush did a lot of things wrong. He was (and still is) a big-government Republican, not a conservative. He called himself a 'compassionate conservative', which we now know means 'I-want-to-look-like-a-conservative-even-though-I'm-not'. As such, the got most of the Right wing vote, even though he wasn't always in agreement with us. He also set about establishing a 'new tone' in Washington, seeking bipartisan support at every turn, often by giving Democrats the reigns of power on his proposals (like when Ted Kennedy wrote the education bill). This got him precisly bupkis, as the liberal Democrats greedily set about pulling his proposals to the left while simultaneously savaging him in the press. While Bush seems to have a sense of awe and reverence for the Presidency, his political adversaries did not. Thus, when they savaged him, Bush rarely responded, giving the illusion to the public that the accusers were correct. This was, in my opinion, one of his biggest problems. I often wonder how much support he would have lost for the Iraq/Afghanistan war efforts if he had taken an active and aggressive approach toward his detractors. We'll never know, but we have certainly seen that the stupid idea of a 'new tone' is literally impossible when dealing with liberals.
His spending was horrific, as he didn't veto a single spending bill until his second term. He grew the size of government in ways that impressed even Democrats. He came down squarely on the side of illegal immigration, which was directly opposite with that of the Right wing base. In the past few months, he completely chucked the free market principles that have made America great for so long and sent us a very long leap down the road toward socialism. For all of these things, I will be glad George W. Bush is out of the Oval Office.
On the other hand, Bush did a great many things right, too. His Supreme Court appointments were outstanding, and helped to balance a court that has been tracking steadily to the Left for decades. His other federal appointments are likewise top notch. That's the kind of thing that will affect millions of Americans for years to come, and will make up part of his legacy.
He creatively and aggressively enhanced the power of the executive branch. While some may think that's bad, I guarantee you every President for the forseeable future (yes, even Barack Obama) will thank him for his efforts. Having a strong leader is critical in times of crisis, which is one reason that America can and will act when many European countries can't or won't.
Bush's tax cuts at the beginning of his administration spurred the American economy to tremendous growth for almost six consecutive years.
Most importantly, in my opinion, is what he made the central issue in his administration - the War on Terror. Starting with a jaw-dropping forceful response to 9/11, Bush embarked on a series of actions that have protected this country for the last seven years. His determination kept the military action on course, even when his political opponents wanted to tuck their tails between their legs and cower in the corner. Changing course when it needed to be changed, Bush held firm and won the war in Iraq, and the same strategy is now being implemented in Afghanistan; there's no reason to think it won't work there, too. In the greater war on terrorism, he and his administration developed the tools necessary to fight a fluid network of dangerous radicals (though many of them were leaked by political opponents), thus providing many advantages to his successor that he did not have.
Above all, the President is sworn to defend the Constitution and America itself. That is what he has done. For all his faults, he fulfilled his primary duty to the American people. Thus, as George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, leaves office, I salute him and thank him from the bottom of my heart.
There's my two cents.
PS - You'll hear plenty of vile spewed at Bush today and in the coming weeks/months, but here are a few more links to positive (and concrete) things for which we can thank him and for which he'll be remembered:
Bush's Real Sin Was Winning in Iraq
Bush Considered
Thanking President Bush
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