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Was George W Bush a good president?[W:439:621]

Was George W Bush a good president?


  • Total voters
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  • Poll closed .
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Absolutely not. Sparking the War on Terror by invading a nation because it was believed they possessed nuclear weapons when they did not is hardly the action of someone who deserves a positive rating. Innocent lives died on both sides because of Bush was bought and paid for by the military industrial complex.

Of course, there are more reasons than the Iraq War, although that is the largest perpetrator of his classification as an unsatisfactory president. Destroying our public education system by implementing No Child Left Behind, which is farther away from the policies of the most successful nations in education, opposing equal rights for gays, giving tax cuts to the rich while increasing military spending, launching our country further into deficit, and cut funding to stem cell research, are other notable travesties.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?[W:439]

Was George W Bush a good president?

I like the guy, but "like" doesn't equal good president.

- Trying to nationbuild was ambitious and high minded, but pointless. 8 years is simply not enough, and he should know his fellow politicians well enough to know that later presidents would have their own agendas and dump the project.
Maybe it's because he is Christian he found the alternatives impossible, but occasionally you just have to let hings go. You cannot take responsibility for all of mankind. Sometimes you have to settle for just defending yourself, rather than trying to reform your opponent.

- Guantanamo Bay. A bunch of legalese gobbledegook. He should have known better. Codifying the use of light torture to obtain information is unacceptable. Executing a bunh of worthless terrorists for being out of uniform would have been more acceptabe and more effective too. Certainly in the long run, and possibly in the short term too.

- The economy. Not exactly something a single individual can control, but he knew the housing market was out of control, and maybe he would have had more political capital to do something about it, if he hadn't been busy nationbuilding.

So I would not regard him as a good president.
But still better than Clinton and Obama. They are "Do Nothing Presidents".
A DNP is someone who sweeps every substantial problem under the rug for their successors to deal with. Stuff like like pulling out of Somalia and ignoring the Rwandan genocide because actions taken to correct the problem might get your hands dirty.
Their only objective is getting reelected, which is usually accomplished by creating a major prestige project that touches the hearts and minds of the less informed voters and cannot fail if you throw enough cash at it. At least not until someone else has to puick up the bill, after the DNP is out of office. If all leaders were like that, their countries would collapse inside a generation. They would not under a succession of Bush type presidents.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Iraq was a relatively peaceful country until March 19,2003 when all HELL broke out. The dumber ****ers thought they would wavethe white flag because of this. Dumb ****ers, Dumb ****ers Dumb ****ers, Dumb ****ers

Shock And Awe



 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?[W:439]

I like the guy, but "like" doesn't equal good president.

- Trying to nationbuild was ambitious and high minded, but pointless. 8 years is simply not enough, and he should know his fellow politicians well enough to know that later presidents would have their own agendas and dump the project.
Maybe it's because he is Christian he found the alternatives impossible, but occasionally you just have to let hings go. You cannot take responsibility for all of mankind. Sometimes you have to settle for just defending yourself, rather than trying to reform your opponent.

- Guantanamo Bay. A bunch of legalese gobbledegook. He should have known better. Codifying the use of light torture to obtain information is unacceptable. Executing a bunh of worthless terrorists for being out of uniform would have been more acceptabe and more effective too. Certainly in the long run, and possibly in the short term too.

- The economy. Not exactly something a single individual can control, but he knew the housing market was out of control, and maybe he would have had more political capital to do something about it, if he hadn't been busy nationbuilding.

So I would not regard him as a good president.
But still better than Clinton and Obama. They are "Do Nothing Presidents".
A DNP is someone who sweeps every substantial problem under the rug for their successors to deal with. Stuff like like pulling out of Somalia and ignoring the Rwandan genocide because actions taken to correct the problem might get your hands dirty.
Their only objective is getting reelected, which is usually accomplished by creating a major prestige project that touches the hearts and minds of the less informed voters and cannot fail if you throw enough cash at it. At least not until someone else has to puick up the bill, after the DNP is out of office. If all leaders were like that, their countries would collapse inside a generation. They would not under a succession of Bush type presidents.

Excellent post, and I share your beliefs pretty much down the line. He was somewhat of a disappointment to me as President.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?



Hitchens was a brilliant man. One of my idols (see sig quote). And he's right about what he says. He was just wrong about the war.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Hitchens was a brilliant man. One of my idols (see sig quote). And he's right about what he says. He was just wrong about the war.

No, he was right about the war, as were many others. He was just wrong about post "Shock and Awe", as was George Bush, Barrack Obama and many others. Either get out immediately following the capture and trial of Saddam Hussein or have a long term commitment to the people of Iraq. Having these things decided politically is a weakness and only leads to long term problems.

Obama is more interested in his golf game, fund raising, and Rose Garden photo ops than actually making any difficult decisions regarding long-term benefits to America.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

What happened to your allegation Bush (43) wanted revenge?

Consider the knowledge and briefings all three of them had and were in before Bush was president. All three of them already had vast defense experience for the federal government, and bush (43) had only state level experience. He relied on them.

I'm not sure just when I alleged that Bush wanted revenge. Perhaps you should link back to my post asserting such a thing.

As for the second paragraph, yes that's right. He did rely on them, and they steered him and the country into an unholy mess, this despite their great experience.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

I'm not sure just when I alleged that Bush wanted revenge. Perhaps you should link back to my post asserting such a thing.

As for the second paragraph, yes that's right. He did rely on them, and they steered him and the country into an unholy mess, this despite their great experience.

It really wasn't an "Unholy mess" at one time, when the people proudly voted, and at great risk. It became that way only because America wanted to democratize Iraq but then didn't follow through, giving up far too early.

It would have been better to have just left after Saddam was executed rather than following a program which had no long term commitment. Now it's a disaster, with Barrack Obama perhaps still believing still that "The war in Iraq is over".
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

It really wasn't an "Unholy mess" at one time, when the people proudly voted, and at great risk. It became that way only because America wanted to democratize Iraq but then didn't follow through, giving up far too early.

It would have been better to have just left after Saddam was executed rather than following a program which had no long term commitment. Now it's a disaster, with Barrack Obama perhaps still believing still that "The war in Iraq is over".
Perhaps so. I knew the war wasn't over when we started following the troop withdrawal agreement made back in '07, or was it '08? Maybe the new administration knew it wasn't over, and maybe not. McCain was right when he said we might have to keep troops in Iraq for the next hundred years. The problem is, the electorate was not willing to pay the price in blood and dollars to stay there that long. The architects of the war should have known that we wouldn't be willing to fight for that long, but they were determined to invade Iraq anyway.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Perhaps so. I knew the war wasn't over when we started following the troop withdrawal agreement made back in '07, or was it '08? Maybe the new administration knew it wasn't over, and maybe not. McCain was right when he said we might have to keep troops in Iraq for the next hundred years. The problem is, the electorate was not willing to pay the price in blood and dollars to stay there that long. The architects of the war should have known that we wouldn't be willing to fight for that long, but they were determined to invade Iraq anyway.

That is the most stupid part of this whole "war." We don't have a defined enemy. "Terrorism" isn't a particular people or place. It's a war that will NEVER end. What we need to do is to protect our borders meticulously.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Perhaps so. I knew the war wasn't over when we started following the troop withdrawal agreement made back in '07, or was it '08? Maybe the new administration knew it wasn't over, and maybe not. McCain was right when he said we might have to keep troops in Iraq for the next hundred years. The problem is, the electorate was not willing to pay the price in blood and dollars to stay there that long. The architects of the war should have known that we wouldn't be willing to fight for that long, but they were determined to invade Iraq anyway.

Right, the electorate thought they knew best when it is the job of leaders to lead, make these tough decisions, and explain their reasons why.

BHO could not do that as he was governed by the polls and would say whatever he felt the majority wanted to hear, such as 'The war in Iraq is over', as though just one side can make that decision. However it sounded good to the people who voted for him.

The electorate isn't that much concerned with long term consequences of decisions made now because they really don't understand the issues. They are treated like uniformed children and all indications suggest that they should be.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

That is the most stupid part of this whole "war." We don't have a defined enemy. "Terrorism" isn't a particular people or place. It's a war that will NEVER end. What we need to do is to protect our borders meticulously.

That would be an excellent start. Mexico is pretty good at protecting its borders, as is Canada and every country in Central America.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Right, the electorate thought they knew best when it is the job of leaders to lead, make these tough decisions, and explain their reasons why.

except, of course, when there is a government of, by, and for the people.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Bush.jpg
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

except, of course, when there is a government of, by, and for the people.

I wouldn't want it any other way, but voters should also take some time to inform themselves of the issues and be a little more pessimistic about the statements politicians make.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

I wouldn't want it any other way, but voters should also take some time to inform themselves of the issues and be a little more pessimistic about the statements politicians make.

Absolutely.

And the politicians should never go to war unless the country is behind it and understands the implications. That's one reason for the Constitution having given the Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. Unfortunately, they abrogated their responsibility in Vietnam, and again in Iraq.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Absolutely.

And the politicians should never go to war unless the country is behind it and understands the implications. That's one reason for the Constitution having given the Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. Unfortunately, they abrogated their responsibility in Vietnam, and again in Iraq.

Very good point.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Absolutely.

And the politicians should never go to war unless the country is behind it and understands the implications. That's one reason for the Constitution having given the Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. Unfortunately, they abrogated their responsibility in Vietnam, and again in Iraq.

The Democratic led Senate voted 77-23 to allow Bush to attack Iraq and the Republican led House passed a similar resolution 296-133.

Bush wins Congress backing over war on Iraq | Mail Online

A majority of the American people supported the war as well. Public opinion on the Iraq War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

The Democratic led Senate voted 77-23 to allow Bush to attack Iraq and the Republican led House passed a similar resolution 296-133.

Bush wins Congress backing over war on Iraq | Mail Online

A majority of the American people supported the war as well. Public opinion on the Iraq War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So you ignore the faulty intel part--or should I say Cheney lies he is still trying to rewrite today.
Not to mention the "you're not a Patriot" card continually played by the GOP since WW2 Veteran Reagan .
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

The Democratic led Senate voted 77-23 to allow Bush to attack Iraq and the Republican led House passed a similar resolution 296-133.

Bush wins Congress backing over war on Iraq | Mail Online

A majority of the American people supported the war as well. Public opinion on the Iraq War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oh, well, if the Democrat controlled Senate and Republican controlled house approved it, then it must have been OK, right?

and, sure, the American people supported the idea of a war that was supposed to have lasted less than six weeks and get rid of Saddam's WMD, or at least the ones who have forgotten about Vietnam supported it as long as there was no chance they could be drafted, as long as no taxes were raised to pay for it, and as long as there wasn't anything that they had to actually do to support it.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Oh, well, if the Democrat controlled Senate and Republican controlled house approved it, then it must have been OK, right?
Right. As you said, they represent the American people.

and, sure, the American people supported the idea of a war that was supposed to have lasted less than six weeks and get rid of Saddam's WMD, or at least the ones who have forgotten about Vietnam supported it as long as there was no chance they could be drafted, as long as no taxes were raised to pay for it, and as long as there wasn't anything that they had to actually do to support it.
Yes, as we have seen the American people supported the war in Iraq. I don't really see any debate here.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

George W Bush was not the best speaker but I thought he delivered an excellent speech on January 31, 2006.

George W Bush said:
Our coalition has learned from our experience in Iraq. We've adjusted our military tactics and changed our approach to reconstruction. Along the way, we have benefitted from responsible criticism and counsel offered by members of Congress of both parties. In the coming year, I will continue to reach out and seek your good advice. Yet, there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure. (Applause.) Hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy. (Applause.)
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Right. As you said, they represent the American people.

Yes, as we have seen the American people supported the war in Iraq. I don't really see any debate here.

Sure they did. Just look at all of the yellow ribbons on the backs of their SUVs. As long as they weren't being asked to actually do anything to support that six week or less war, they were for it.

How many were for a decade of warfare? What about bringing back the draft, how was that idea accepted? Or, even more fun, a surtax to pay for the war? How many were ready to shell out a trillion or a trillion and a half, or however much you believe the war actually cost? A trillion divided among a hundred million taxpayers is ten thousand. I know, let's pass a bill adding ten thousand dollars to each taxpayer's tab, then see if they really support the war effort.
 
Re: Was George W Bush a good president?

Sure they did. Just look at all of the yellow ribbons on the backs of their SUVs. As long as they weren't being asked to actually do anything to support that six week or less war, they were for it.

How many were for a decade of warfare? What about bringing back the draft, how was that idea accepted? Or, even more fun, a surtax to pay for the war? How many were ready to shell out a trillion or a trillion and a half, or however much you believe the war actually cost? A trillion divided among a hundred million taxpayers is ten thousand. I know, let's pass a bill adding ten thousand dollars to each taxpayer's tab, then see if they really support the war effort.

Apparently they were for all this if the The President, Congress, the Senate and the people favored it and people should understand the cost. In fact it was a very well run war with a casualty rate that was far below any other war that had been going on for this number of years.
 
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