Long Campaign Threatens Bush Legacy

National Review Online: The President Has Become An Easy Target And Must Defend His Record

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Victor Davis Hanson.

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We are in one of the longest presidential campaigns in modern memory - and haven’t even started focusing on the general election.

It’s been enough to drive most of us mad, but if there’s one person in particular suffering the most, it may be President Bush.

It’s been noted here before that we have not had an election since 1952 in which an incumbent president or vice president was not running in at least partial defense of an existing administration’s record.

That means Bush is not just a lame duck but an easy target for all three current candidates - none of whom have any investment in the president’s legacy.

Consider that the last president in a similar position was Harry Truman. He left office with an approval rating in the 20s, and it took years before historians revised the standard negative and mostly unfair view of him.

When there is no incumbent in a long race, almost everything of the last four years becomes fair and uncontested game. In 2004, Bush defended his record for months on the stump; now it has become almost second nature for all three candidates to denounce it daily.

John McCain has distanced himself from Bush as much as he can, even as his Democratic opponents dub him John McBush - when they are not outdoing each other in their denunciation of the president.

Last week, I asked a fierce Bush critic what he thought were the current unemployment rate, the mortgage default rate, the latest economic growth figures, interest rates and the status of the stock market.

He blurted out the common campaign pessimism: “Recession! Worst since the Depression!”

Then he scoffed when I suggested that the answer was really a 5 percent joblessness rate in April that was lower than the March figure; 95 to 96 percent of mortgages not entering foreclosure in this year’s first quarter; .6 percent growth during the quarter (weak, but not recession level); historically low interest rates; and sky-high stock market prices.

There are serious problems - high fuel costs, rising food prices, staggering foreign debt, unfunded entitlements, and annual deficits. Yet a president or vice president running for office (and covered incessantly by the media) would at least make the argument that there is a lot of good news, and that the bad that offsets it could be shared by a lot of culpable parties, from the Congress to the way we, the public, have been doing business for the last 20 years.

Bush, like Truman, will have to leave his final assessment for posterity. But for a variety of historic reasons as well as his own self-interest, Bush should at least take his now-unpopular case to the people, with more press conferences, public addresses, stump speeches and one-on-one interviews.

Bush’s own legacy will be affected by who succeeds him. Ronald Reagan received great press after leaving office in part because a Republican followed him for four years - quite the opposite from the senior George Bush who was thrown out of office in 1992 and blamed for assorted sins the next eight years. Likewise, compare the image of Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton when a president from the opposite party followed each into office.

Second, public perceptions, such as ongoing consumer confidence or support for the war, can dramatically affect policy success or failure. Defending past decisions can sometimes improve their outcomes.

Third, it would elevate the arguments of all three candidates if someone could remind them that energy and food problems, foreign-policy crises, and economic woes usually involve bad and worse choices.

The American people are more interested in exactly how they are going to improve things, rather than hearing each hour how our collective problems are simply the fault of one man. Searing “Bush did it” into the public conscious won’t resolve our energy, economic, or foreign-policy challenges.

The truth is that America is providing unprecedented amounts of money to address the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Tax cuts brought in greater, not less total revenue. International trade agreements created more, not fewer, jobs. Security measures at home, and losses suffered by terrorists abroad, in part explain the absence of a second 9/11.

And drilling in ANWR and off the coasts and building more nuclear power plants, refineries, and clean coal plants - if the Congress would only approve - could provide a short-term mitigation of energy prices until we reach a new generation of clean-burning and renewable fuels.

George Bush could learn from “Give ‘em Hell, Harry.” A disliked Truman never went silent into the night, but defended his record until the very end - and was ultimately rewarded for it.

[mbburch06]

Leave it to the neocons at NRO to defend Bush and Truman in the same sentence. Bush''s record speaks for itself. The Iraq war will go down as the worst mistake this country has made since Vietnam, and for making that decision, history will rightfully judge him harshly.

[sebastian27-2009]

History will tell us whether the Iraq war was a mistake, though I am not sure that it will be a clear-cut decision.
As far as the economy is concerned, the person that should get blame for the financial mess is Alan Greenspan. He enjoyed patting himself on the back in front of the cameras too much. And by the way, I didn''t vote for Bush either time and think that he has been and over-all lousy president.

[quatermass2]

Ah, the jumped-up raisin farmer once again throws in his lot with the objectively worst President in the history of the Republic. Note the spin:

"5 percent joblessness rate in April that was lower than the March figure;"

Read: lowset job growth in history. Hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs lost, never to return, and additional hundreds of thousands of jobs outsourced. The relatively low percentage rate hides the fact that many, MANY have simply given up looking.

"95 to 96 percent of mortgages not entering foreclosure in this year%u2019s first quarter;"

Ignoring the indisputable FACT that the current housing crisis is the worst on record, that equity losses have not been as high in any period since the Great Depression, and that government BAILOUTS have neen required to stabilize the industry

"0.6 percent growth during the quarter (weak, but not recession level)"

Feh - that''s like saying you''ve only lost a limb, what are you complaining about, you''re still alive?

"historically low interest rates;"

Panic measure by a spooked Fed,you dolt

"and sky-high stock market prices."

Gee, then why is my 401K about $100K low er than it was LAST YEAR, fool?

Hanson is a paid shill for the current junta, and boy, is it obvious.

[noloyalisti]

This dude ought to start finding some attorneys for when he is done. He is a lying cheating stealing white trash war criminal. He has done more damage to this country than even Reagan did. What a scary monstrous nightmare of a man (although he is just a dumb puppet of the neo con men and their big corporate providers). Impeach and imprison. ASAP.

[rafterman1]

If Mr. Hanson is suggesting that historians will look more kindly on Bush 50 years from now, he''s actually right. Time makes even the worst president look a little better. But when you look at the state of the country now and in 1952, we are a lot less hopeful now. But the Truman 20 percent comes a lot from the fact that Americans were expecting a lot better in 1952. After all, we just kicked the a$$es of the Germans and Japanese in WWII and we were clearing the biggest kid on the block. But if the same group of Americans from 1952 were judging Bush now, he would have a 5 instead of a 30 percent approval. They just expected more than we do now.

[trillion1]

After over 7 years of unsurpassed ineptatude and corruption the neonuts still wear rose colored glass. Most of the nation has wised up.

[ricknuber]

I''ve never read such vomit in all my life. The Bush legacy will be remembered exactly as it should: rife with deceit, lies, disregard for the Constitution, collusion with partisan media, destruction of prosperity for the American family and, most of all, a very loose grasp for the English language.

Noo-kyoo-lur. Enough Said.

[crater7]

Long Campaign Threatens Bush Legacy;

MAKES BUSH AN EASY TARGET. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

THIS IS THE MOST BLUNDERING PRESIDENT IN HISTORY.
HE, DESERVES WHAT HE GETS.

BUSH, IS A TOTAL FAILURE.

BUSH HAS NO LEGACY.......

[irliberal]

Hahahahaha... very funny article, thanks NRO.

Of course, the only thing that threatens the so-called "Bush Legacy" is GW Bush. NRO is worried how history will remember him. Worry no more. History and future generations will look back in amazement and say - how were enough of the American people so inept, so frightened, so bitter and so backward as to elect this charlatan ONCE, much less TWICE? However, unlike the great mysteries of the pyramids or stonehenge which continue to enthrall and amaze, this buffoon will eventually be reduced to a few footnotes about the dangers of mindless aggression (i.e. "pre-emptive war"), the interference of religion in government, the rape and destruction of the natural world and it''s resources, and a quick how-to on blowing record budget surplus into a record budget deficit in four years.

He''ll be a shining example of how NOT to lead a free country. Shame on us, for the future will blame not the inept shrub, but on US, the American people, for enabling his party and regime to make us the laughingstock of the free world.

[tawpdawg11]

There is talk that Dubai MAY let him have his presidential library there. But keep it on the down-low! He don''t want anyone to queer the deal.

[tawpdawg11]

And by the way, I didn''''t vote for Bush either time and think that he has been and over-all lousy president.

Posted by Sebastian27 at 03:34 PM : May 08, 2008


Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bizwiz_27]

Oh yeah!!!!
I had to fill out an entire information sheet just to comment on this absurdity of an argument. The not so suttle effort to ease Bush''s legacy in to a more moderate less repulsive place - which he worked hard to earn! I campaigned for this guy in 00'' and I believe in certain republican principles and believe some are more conducive to the sustainability of this country with respect to social policies and "thoretically" since they don''t practice what they preach with respect to the general economic ideals of the republican party. But I had jumped off the bandwagon of the republican party relatively shortly after 9-11 and watched in utter horror as the iraq disaster unfolded. Don''t waste viewers brainpower by writing an article numbing the viscious wounds the Bush administration has inflicted on the greatness of America that has taken hundreds of years to build. Republicans think they can "play the game" in perpetuity but they are very shortsighted and expose the lack of wisdom that led them to most of their historic failures. I hope this country never forgets the DISGRACE THAT GEORGE W. BUSH HAS BROUGHT TO THIS NATION. AND THE DISASTER THAT HIS MANIPULATIVE AND IDEOLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION HAS WROUGHT. Bush makes Clinton look like a priest. Go Obama 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wooleywews]

Bill Clinton%u2019s legacy is all over Monica%u2019s dress. Maybe JFK%u2019s legacy is on the beaches of the Bay of Pigs. How LBJ%u2019s legacy, Vietnam. Jimmy Carter%u2019s 18% interest rate and 18% inflation rate. Those are some impressive Legacies.

[trillion1]

The rightwing is getting so pathtic most of their posts are out right laughable.

[jerr11]

Bill Clinton%u2019s legacy is all over Monica%u2019s dress. Maybe JFK%u2019s legacy is on the beaches of the Bay of Pigs. How LBJ%u2019s legacy, Vietnam. Jimmy Carter%u2019s 18% interest rate and 18% inflation rate. Those are some impressive Legacies.

Posted by wernet2 at 07:04 PM : May 08, 2008



The most impressive has to be:

935 lies

4071 Dead Americans

3,000,000,000,000 squandered in Iraq.

The dollar worth 60 cents of what it was worth before Bush took over.

Gas at $4 a gallon.

And the best part - Halliburton''s profits through the roof.

[messiahx4eve]

I remember meeting this idiot (bush) in college when he was gov. of texass. He announced he was running for president and at the time, I thought to myself keep talking bud because the minute you open your oil filled mouth, you LOSE all credibility as being intelligent. I thought no intelligent thinking human being would EVER vote for this blubbering idiot but I underestimated his father and brother in setting the stage for lil'' george to win no matter what. As I shook hands with him (not by my choice) I felt as though I were being caressed by maggots breathing cheap wine in my face. God I needed to go wash my hand before I got some sort of infection.

[imnho]

One question. How do you endager a legacy that is already dead?

This is the first time a president has screwed up a wet dream.

[ourtomorrows]

Like Truman, President Bush''s legacy will be looked at more fairly and in the end, positively, by historians. There are a great deal of positive things that have come out of his time in office, not the least of which is the largest ongoing US financial commitment to Africa in American history. His much maligned foreign policy and his war on terror will be vindicated as not the easy, but the right choice. The Bush legacy is far more complicated than saying everything he did was bad. Historians will understand that, those who hate the President never will. But then again, those who spout hatred for President Bush also can not, will not, and have never, been able to accept the notion that the United States can not always do what is popular with the rest of the world. To be fair, the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century were not caused by the US action, but by inaction. We did not start World War I, we did not start World War II, we did not start the Korean War, we did not start Vietnam, we did not start the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, we did not start the first Iraq War but more aggressive action earlier could have stopped or lessened the horror of each.

[joyous88]

what legacy?

The first un american president in US history,

the first truely criminal president in US history,

the onlt thing worse than this crime family would

be four more years of McBushCain

[joyous88]

ourtomorros;

what planet are you from?

you are one of the 17 % that think Bush is your own personal God;

good luck to you, but why ruin our country with your craap

[mcvet]

Posted by ourtomorrows at 09:03 PM : May 08, 2008

HE LIED TO ALL OF US! HE STARTED A WAR BASED ON PURE DOCUMENTED LIES! ROFLMAO Truman was standing up for PRINCIPLE for God''s sake. HE''d made the Military Color Blind and was being trashed by the FASCIST in McCarthy and the Southern Fascist, headed by Thrumon!! BIG DIFFERENCE!! 935 times the Bush Administration LIED...they are there and they ARE LIES... every last one of them. SIEG HEIL BUSH!!

[mattgersz]

I expected little of George Bush seven+plus years ago. I expected too much.

His ill-advised war, his penchant for secrecy, and most damaging, his dangerously warped view of Constitutional powers and his (and Cheney''s) pursuit of the ultimate in imperial presidencies have created a legacy that can charitibly be termed a mess.

Defend his record? The best this president can hope for is that we won''t remember it.

[ubrew12]

Article: "[My liberal friend] scoffed when I suggested that the answer was...a 5% joblessness rate; 95 to 96% of mortgages not entering foreclosure; .6% growth during the quarter; historically low interest rates; and sky-high stock market prices... There are serious problems..."

You liberal friend is right, and you are wrong. Wall Street has NEVER displayed such a disconnect with Main street, which has been devastated under Bush. Housing is losing money because THAT is the equity of the middle-class, not their investments. Only the rich hold sizeable investments so, of course, for them Bush will keep the stock market high.

Victor Davis Hanson is a rightwing neocon propagandist, so his blaming of Bush''s image on the ''long campaign'' is to be expected. Most of those posting here got it right: Bush''s legacy is a richly deserved record of total failure. Now, if can only consign Hanson to Crawford with Bush, our success would be complete.

[cruzn66]

Maybe, as we really look at this administration, it will be given nothing more than a footnote in historyas a disaster looking for a place to happen. Very little will be seen as positive as this administration worked very hard to try to force some kind of greatness on the world, when, in truth, there was little within the inner circle of this administration to warrant any time of historical greatness. It was more like the firefighter, who for lack of better things to do, started a fire just so that the potential for being a hero might present itself. In reality, when the truth comes out, the fire fighter, like this administration, will be remembered for what it didn''t do, serve the people''s interests before their own.

[observantx]

Legacy.

Such a big word.

Too big a word for such a small man with a diminutive intellect, a vast disdain for knowledge and an utter disregard for history, our Constitution, Justice, and common decency.

I have a dismal prediction. This man and his sycophants will not go quietly into the sunset. They will spend the rest of their lives. sheltered by the $$ they have stolen, trying to whitewash their actions.

First there will the ghost written books, then the speaking engagements hosted by their deluded and fawning admirers. Then attempts to revise the facts and muddle the history.

Let''s hope they all end up clutching their chests as their hearts spasm and stop while the faces of those they sacrificed in a false war, those they rendered and tortured, and those they threw under the bus for their own profit pass before their eyes.

Let no man in this entire world pay any heed or attention to these criminals, unless it is to imprison them for their crimes.

[tylenol6]

Bush legacy will be: FRAUD, FRAUD, FRAUD and more FRAUD.

[b-easy63]

Bush should NOT take his case to "the people" no one wants to know that mf is even alive, let alone still President--and since we think most of what slops out of his pie hole are LIES--he has no case---he needs to plan his exit--stage RIGHT.

[tawpdawg11]

"Long Campaign Threatens Bush Legacy"

Well....what"s the punch line?

[horse3farm]

Posted by: ourtommorrows.....
"There are a great deal of positive things that have come out of his time in office, not the least of which is the largest ongoing US financial commitment to Africa in American history."

----------------

Are you kidding? It will be comforting for our children to know that during the Bush Jr administration more support went to a foreign country then to the people of his own country.

[jamurphy4]

LEGACY.. Is this guy joking?? Bush started out sitting in a chair reading an upside down book to 3rd grader''s. When they told him about the 9/11 planes crashing into the WTC, he sat there for 7 min''s. messing his pants.. He took America down into the gutter with him, cheney, and all the Republican fools that followed him, licking his boots. Pick any part of our society, and you''ll find that he had a negative effect on it. He is a liar, and a fraud.. America was respected all over the World, but not any more.. His Legacy will be, that he is/was the Worst President in History of America, as well as Worst Leader of the Free World.. He is a sad little man..

[stn_sage]

The author lost my belief he was looking at Bush dispassionately and open-mindedly when he described him as ''...an easy target...''!

Bush is NOT being attacked because he''s a lameduck! He''s being attacked because he''s a mess-up! He''s bungled almost everything he''s handled!

The author''s defense of Bush against ...''a fierce Bush critic''...with facts that don''t BEGIN to give a true picture of the economy is deceptive at best!

What a particularly love, is the author''s suggestion that Bush needs to improve his public relations effort and convince the public of his success!

The author then cites examples of success that are at best debatable. Examples that haven''t been fulfilled,
that are hotly contested, or misattributed! If Bush had taken effective/successful actions on a constant basis, the author wouldn''t have to ''reach'' like this!

Finally, I find this article to be, ''HOGWASH''!!! Victor Hanson should write a revisionist history of the Bush years! I bet it would be good!

[kaelinda]

We won''t know what Bush''s legacy is for another 50 years. That''s the way history works, you know. Only in hindsight can people see what was truly important about an event that happened 50 years ago. So, in 2058, let''s all get together again and see what we think of Bush''s history then!

[messiahx4eve]

bush''s legacy for what he did to the United States will be described as like sewing back together a well-done pot roast to make it whole again. He WILL be remembered in every joke book, every cartoon, every spoof, every blundering blenderheaded scheme he got caught doing and thinks he got away with. Who said crime does not pay. He did the crime but probably will do NO time.

[puritan9]

How can you threaten a legacy of lies, destruction of a soverign nation, destruction of our own economy, sodomy of the environment, need more details? Dubya''s positive contribution is to support the arguement that sometimes abortion is a good choice.

[idnnsg]

Bush''s legacy will be: "Fascist oil baron, international war criminal, and mass murderering alcoholic who destroyed the U.S. Constitution. Universally recognized as the WORST president of all time."

Why is the NRO upset that something might damage that legacy?

[bluestardad]

NOTHING COULD HURT THIS CHIMP ANY MORE UNLESS HE ATTACKS IRAN BEFORE AMERICANS CAN PUSH HIM OUT!

START WAR CRIMES TRIALS NOW...

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[mcvet]

Legacy!! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA LYING, INVADING the WRONG Country for OIL, Crimes we have yet to find out?? Man this is funny!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!!

[mcvet]

We won''''t know what Bush''''s legacy is for another 50 years. That''''s the way history works, you know. Only in hindsight can people see what was truly important about an event that happened 50 years ago. So, in 2058, let''''s all get together again and see what we think of Bush''''s history then!


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Posted by Kaelinda at 05:41 AM : May 09, 2008
+ report abuse

Oh but those who study and teach HISTORY can give you some pointers. My good friend is a Professor of History and we were discussing this very thing a few nights ago. He says you can NOT tell how history will view someone but you can determine what History will weight when viewing that. The documented evidence of the time is the biggest clue.. Bush is another Joe McCarthy in his view. Someone who abused the events of his time for political gain. Someone who OPENLY LIED to the people of the country for his OWN selfish reasons. Those facts are well documented and will weight very heavy when historian''s look at this time. Sieg Heil Bush

[bmadeline-2009]

There isn''t much defense for a war criminal. How you neo''s keep defending this criminal is beyond me.

[DaveGress]

How do you defending being the guy out partying while TERRORISTS STUCK AMERICA. Yeah, that was Bush doing that. He who ignored the memo titled: "Bin Laden determined to strike inside the US". Then he ignored the edict of "Al-Qieda will bankrupt America".

What else did the boy President ignore?

[jjp735i]

Bush has only himself to blame for his Nazi style legacy. That''s all people are going to remember him for.

[hsinco-2009]

I think judging Bu$h by how strong the Repug party is after his terms in office will be a clus e to to how popular this travesty of a "human being" is.

One sorry SOB!

[jsl45]

maybe there will be some justice in Shrub the Dumbnificent being in relatively good health and living long enough to see how History will treat him....I believe he''ll probably go back to drinking since he won''t be able to deal with the real world once he is forced to step down from the "insulated throne" that he has erected for himself. I hope I get at least once chance to see him in public and boo and jeer him for his arrongance, lies and deceptions he has inflicted against the American people.

[bjjb3283]

You say, "Searing %u201CBush did it%u201D into the public conscious won%u2019t resolve our energy, economic, or foreign-policy challenges.". But you forget...Bush DID it. And I thought you people supported the concept of "responsibility for one''s actions". This shoe fits and, by God, he needs to put the *** thing on.

[Razzl]

As I was reading this outrageous drivel, asking myself, "isn''t there some way to punish propagandists?", an inspiration came.

You may recall how the Ku Klux Klan was put out of business at the end of a long and noisy revival from the ''70''s through the ''90''s when the Feds sued their national organization for damages to victims of their violence; the civil judgement went against them and they were forced to sell their headquarters building and other assets to pay the judgement.

I propose that progressives organize a suit against National Review, Weekly Standard, Richard Perl, and all the other nongovernmental conspirators for war and torture, on behalf of US citizens who have lost their lives in Iraq and Iraqis who have suffered extreme losses (death of family, loss of property, injury and disfigurement) from the illegal acts committed by the Bush administration at their behest. In order to succeed the suit would likely have to wait until courts have a chance to make firm ruling that the Bush administration was obligated by law to follow treaties, but over time that will happen. What the neocons outside of government and their propaganda wing have done is shout "fire" in a crowded theater, or more aptly, incited a riot, and those who have been damaged by their actions ought to seek compensation in civil court. The beauty of this approach is that the neocons don''t lose their freedom of speech, they just have to finally take responsibility for what they say...

[tbweb]

President Bush should not take it too personal because in the end its not about him, its about the win/lose culture of the United States and the United States loves winners, not losers! President Bush is perceived as a loser! I remember coming back from Vietnam and how badly we were treated by the American public, most of that bad treatment was due to the fact that we were perceived as losers, it wasn''t personal and that''s just the way it is. You can''t expect to be treated like a hero when you don''t deliver! Its just the culture of the U.S. and thats why being a winner is so sweet.

[bm6005]

Bush''s "legacy" is what it is! He earned it, it''s his and he shall suffer for it!

[pjw4crcc]

My, my ... it appears The Shrub is just misunderstood. No ... he really wasn''t a drunken failure in his pathetic youth. He was victim of temptation. No ... he really didn''t desert his country in a time of war. He just needed a little break. I boggles the mind to think what kind of alternative history Hanson and his cronies will be cranking out down at the Ministry of Truth ... aka the George W. Bush Library at SMU.

[citizenusa-2009]

Bush''s "Legacy" - Death, Destruction, Debt and Deception. History won''t be kind to this man and his administration. Hopefully at some point in the future, the Justice department will hold him and his cohorts responsible for the horrific mess we are in. God Bless America and our brave troops who serve our country DESPITE the fact that our "Commander and Chief" started an illegal war and has nearly bankrupted out economy in the process. He, Cheney and the rest will surely burn in hell for their crimes against humanity.

[joyous88]

Bush - the first anti american president of the USA

and the neo con criminals that got him elected,
traitors everyone