It’s easy to find examples of what the Bush administration has done wrong (see yesterday’s post). My question is: what has Bush done right? Can he count any successes?
The only thing I can come up with is the invasion of Afganistan and the overthrow of the Taliban for harboring and supporting Bin Laden and Al Quaida. But even that is tempered by the failure to nab Bin Laden when they had the chance, and the fact that things are still in bad shape there (unless you count the enormous heroin trade that’s sprung up).
The War on Terror(tm) has been a bust, as further reinforced this week. Not guarding 380 tons of high explosives has given insurgents the ammo to fight back, and the administration’s actions have given insurgents the motivation, in spades.
Some would point to the No Child Left Behind act, but that’s a program that has been underfunded and not accepted by all schools/states because of the hardships it places upon them.
Medicare reform? With massive concessions to the drug companies, plus coercion by those writing the bill to not reveal the final numbers, it’s a failure.
Even the tax cuts are a failure. Sure, most people got some cash. But that pales compared to how badly skewed the cuts were favored for the wealthy. Even worse, the costs of other things (education, utilities, etc.) have risen beyond whatever money people pocketed. The tax cuts didn’t even give the economy a stimulus boost.
Maybe we can credit the president for just showing up for work — unless you take into account that Bush has spent more time on vacation (40 percent!) during his term than any other president.
Anything? Any success at all?
No.
Jeff Carlson | Never Enough Coffee Creations 
I googled “What has Bush done right” and this blog popped up.
How long is going to take to undo the damage that this moron I voted for has caused?
In the election of 2000, my vote was immediately cast for Bush, being that i was a Rebublican. Although, since that time i have switched to being Democratic, in the belief that George W. Bush has done nothing right. But something occured to me as to try and see it at a different perspective. So i went to google and typed in “things bush has done right”. So far, nothing that can’t be toppled over with all the negative and stupid things that he did right along with it.
As a small fact, Sept. 11. He attacked Afghanistan and took action. Although, about 10 or so minutes before he did ANYTHING he kept reading a book to some kids at a school, instead of rushing out and fearing for his country.
In conclusion, Bush is a moron and should have been kicked out of office years ago…
My buddy and I began wondering about this very same question last week. Most of the time we sit around bashing the idiot in chief, but that’s just too easy! Finding something (anything) positive that Bush has done seems like a good challenge.
So we started asking around. Thus far the ONLY answers we’ve heard are in regard to Bush’s (alleged) “moral triumphs.” These “moral triumphs” center around two themes: Bush isn’t having an affair on the job (like that no good rascal Clinton), and Bush opposes Gay marriage.
I disagree.
1. Simply not having an affair wins you no points. This is a basic expectation in any marriage!
2. I consider myself a spiritual person. In fact I belong to a very “conservative” religion. BUT: I believe it is morally unacceptable to impose your religious beliefs on another group. Such persecution of a group of human beings is a MORAL FAILURE!
Claiming a “moral triumph” sounds the same as saying “well, at least you played hard,” but in the end you still lost the game.
And I’d have to disagree with moral triumph, too: Terri Schaivo? Thousands dead in Iraq? Not very good morals there, either.
Basically, it comes down to: Bush has expressed support for those who are irrationally afraid of gay people and for those who put the abortion debate at the center of everything and elevate its importance, regardless of any outside factors (international stability, security at home, etc.). And those are the head-in-the-ground loyalists who make up Bush’s shrinking base.
I agree. That bastard has not done anything right. Invasion of Afghanastan? When a year later? He is a crook and the president of organized crime. He is a shit, and i am not sure if this country will ever recover.
I agree.
I also searched this very same question in an effort to understand what this man has accomplished in 8 years. I am a Republican yet also am switching to Democrat regardless of the candidate. Call it a protest vote.
I speak to some fellow right wing religious neo-con nuts and I am embarassed that these individuals have become the “base” of the party. These are the last 26% of hold outs who think Bush is great. They say things like the following….”No such thing as global warming, we cannot blame bush for everything because they are beyond his control. Iraq is a success because there is no terrorism at home.”
Let me say this. Not all things can be controlled, but a skilled President can avoid problems instead of cause them. He can navigate in a way where problems that come up are minimized. Perhaps even talk to the people once in a while to alleviate their concerns. Bush has not done any of this,in fact when he speaks I get ulcers.
The blunders he has made can be blamed for many of the problems we face. The enormous cost of the Iraq war has put our country on its knees. The mortgage “bubble” was allowed, yes allowed since it created a short term frenzy and gave a boost to the economy. This helped short term but has led to the crises we are in now. Gas prices? Blame India and China for increased usage? Well, the weak dollar is to blame also and that is because of the US economic mess. These guys were “oil men”, they were supposed to be able to control this, this was their “expertise”.
I am of the opinion that this presidency is a national catasrophe that has unfortunately led to the decline of the American empire. Not that I want an empire but it was sure nice to be on top. And those religious nuts who put Bush in office, is God blessing his rule???
It seems not. This man is an embarassment to this country. He should be tried for treason.
http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/backgroundhistory/tp/bushdidright.htm
I also could not think of anything he did right, but this link mentions a few good items. They pale in comparison to the damage he and his administration have done to us and our friends (What friends we have left).
Only people who expected Mr. Bush to achieve something are mad. The admin has done everything to push USA behing by years if not by decades. USA relationship with mostly friendly countries is suffering. Soon, there will be more superpowers and USA loose its magic touch. Gas prices had more to do with Iraq’s invasion and then the emerging markets expanded. Similar to Katrina and othe similar mishaps, the only thing that Bush has to offer is off shore drilling. How is that going to help when the oil would not be available for 5 to ten years. Why didn’t the admin talk about it after Katrina? I may not have a IQ of 125, but I can sure put things together logically to solve a problem.
We will have to wait for another few months to deal with these productive leaders!
I would like to know what all occurred in all those closed sessions of congress(in laymans terms), when the republicans had congress and the presidency…. I do know one thing they did.. they devalued the dollar 25%.
in one afternoon we lost 25% of our buying power… so that they could run the debt up higher… totally insane isnt it…
A.. Is it that we have electricity and
running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?
B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?
C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?
D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?
F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?
G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.
H.. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.
J. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.
K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will c ome to defend you and your family against attack or loss.
L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?
Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks
unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don’t have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.
Wow, Jon, where do I start? Three things:
1. You’ve just pasted something else someone wrote, claiming it as your own, so that cranks your argument way down right off the bat. See http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/hitnail.asp .
2. Bush has nothing to do with any of the things you list. Like too many others, you’re taking honest, intellectual criticism and treating it like I’m attacking the United States. I’m guessing you think that we should all just blindly follow whatever leader because we’re at war. (Will this apply to the Obama administration, too? I suspect the same people who have been giving the Bush administration a blank check will change their tune.)
3. I have to point out the other side of K, which is that sometimes when people have been at home watching TV, officers equipped with guns and bulletproof vests have busted down the doors and injured, arrested, or killed the people inside as a result of bad intelligence or hyper-aggressive behavior.
I’m afraid i disagree guys. While bush has made mistakes he is not a moron. For you (people who haven’t had to deal with the job of the presidency) to sit here and speculate to just HOW stupid he is seems almost childish. Perhaps you should not only look at the past president but also the past congress as the root of problems in this country. Parties don’t elect complete idiots into office.
I agree. He did leave a big mess. All we can do now is hope for the best. I voted for the guy, but who knew? I guess if politicians were honest from the get go, they wouldn’t be politicians.
I didnt vote for the guy, he is in a position right now that will affect the entire world for decades to come. That is with the economy and the supreme court justices that he will have to appoint. I just dont believe in his tactics, but you are right I hope he does well. He is all we have for 4 years and I hope he makes the right decisions.