Really, bottom line is the best and worst presidents aren't necessarily recalled with accurate detail, as with anything in history. Be it history regarding the cause of the Great Depression and if we will likely, despite it's vivid images and apparently unlearned lessons, relive it. At our own hands. When it comes to American presidents there is none more revered or reviled than a dead one.
isnt it interesting how the historical "facts" change over time? im fascinated to hear how the taking up of things given as facts can lead to different interpretations and different "facts " as time goes on. history is rooted in a temporal context this seems to mean that the context changes and so then does the history. the real bush legacy will probably not be known in our lifetime. if the big islamic war happens in the next dozen or so years he may be looked at as a visionary or he may be looked at as the one who ignited it. i hope im still around to see how this plays out in 20 years.
I have to give him credit for not pretending to care about Africa. He sticks to his guns. His world does, in fact, revolve around Dubya.
As for Cheney? Made it through the whole two terms after all.
I agree, but I see too something we're shown time, and time again: the fall of the sanctimonious religious fanatic, who believe themselves annointed by some higher being to ... well, in his case, be "the decider." He was pretty smug after his second term was confirmed -- remember him boasting about all the political capital he had, and how he was going to start spending it?
yes he was smug and i wonder what those who surrounded him said to him during that time? i was watching snippets of that abc interview he did and he seemed embarrassed but also seemed like hed been working some of this in his head. then of course just to show that the insight doesnt go too deeply we must remember that hes still at it shoving last minute items in to preserve the "conservative agenda."
Maybe he was manipulated and used. Clearly, he was surrounded by smarter people both terms -- of his own choosing -- and they used him (especially Ashcroft, Rumsfeld and Cheney) for their own ends, but he bought in hook, line, and sinker, and he always seemed to think he was pullin' one over on us. I mean ... the dude flat out lied, time, and time again to us. And why? What would permit a person to behave thus? "Religious sanctimony."
i will always remember his performance at the first republican debates back in 99. i felt embarrassed for him, his performance then was worse than anything palin did and yet he ended up as the president. conspiracy theory or not i have to believe that his election was a sham and that cheney was to be the real president but was unelectable because of his age, health issues and all around nastiness so they got bush to be the "front" president while behind the scenes the reality was different. now, in his final days, realizing that its his name that will go down in the history books as quite possibly, the worst president the us has ever endured, a bit of clarity is coming into play. its too late to go back. what was telling for me was listening to him speak during that abc interview when he said he had been thinking about a life devoted to aids and malaria in africa and then said thats not what i am gonna do but i find the idea intriguing. that seems to be the way to change your legacy, carter was thought to be an ineffectual president and clinton had to shine up his rep after all of those controversial moments and both have done so by devoting their post president lives to charitable causes. how many times have we heard the comment that carter is a far better ex president than he was a president?
Really, bottom line is the best and worst presidents aren't necessarily recalled with accurate detail, as with anything in history. Be it history regarding the cause of the Great Depression and if we will likely, despite it's vivid images and apparently unlearned lessons, relive it. At our own hands. When it comes to American presidents there is none more revered or reviled than a dead one.
I have to give him credit for not pretending to care about Africa. He sticks to his guns. His world does, in fact, revolve around Dubya.
As for Cheney? Made it through the whole two terms after all.
I agree, but I see too something we're shown time, and time again: the fall of the sanctimonious religious fanatic, who believe themselves annointed by some higher being to ... well, in his case, be "the decider." He was pretty smug after his second term was confirmed -- remember him boasting about all the political capital he had, and how he was going to start spending it?
yes he was smug and i wonder what those who surrounded him said to him during that time? i was watching snippets of that abc interview he did and he seemed embarrassed but also seemed like hed been working some of this in his head. then of course just to show that the insight doesnt go too deeply we must remember that hes still at it shoving last minute items in to preserve the "conservative agenda."
Maybe he was manipulated and used. Clearly, he was surrounded by smarter people both terms -- of his own choosing -- and they used him (especially Ashcroft, Rumsfeld and Cheney) for their own ends, but he bought in hook, line, and sinker, and he always seemed to think he was pullin' one over on us. I mean ... the dude flat out lied, time, and time again to us. And why? What would permit a person to behave thus? "Religious sanctimony."
i will always remember his performance at the first republican debates back in 99. i felt embarrassed for him, his performance then was worse than anything palin did and yet he ended up as the president. conspiracy theory or not i have to believe that his election was a sham and that cheney was to be the real president but was unelectable because of his age, health issues and all around nastiness so they got bush to be the "front" president while behind the scenes the reality was different. now, in his final days, realizing that its his name that will go down in the history books as quite possibly, the worst president the us has ever endured, a bit of clarity is coming into play. its too late to go back. what was telling for me was listening to him speak during that abc interview when he said he had been thinking about a life devoted to aids and malaria in africa and then said thats not what i am gonna do but i find the idea intriguing. that seems to be the way to change your legacy, carter was thought to be an ineffectual president and clinton had to shine up his rep after all of those controversial moments and both have done so by devoting their post president lives to charitable causes. how many times have we heard the comment that carter is a far better ex president than he was a president?
"I'm sure some people voted for Barack Obama because of me," said Bush, who leaves office with low approval ratings. "I think most people voted for Barack Obama because they decided they wanted him to be in their living room for the next four years explaining policy. In other words, they made a conscious choice to put him in as president."
He's just ... like Maxwell House coffee, isn't he .... "good to the last drop."
Hes quickly becoming a tragic figure tho. A week or so ago someone asked if he had seen the movie "W" and he said that he had and that he thought it was a good movie. He didnt say that the movie was inaccurate or the motivations given to him in the movie were false. I guess thats what makes his appearance during these last days in office so tragic. Then this week when asked if he had any regrets he stated that he wished that the "intel" he had on iraq had been better and when asked if he still would have invaded iraq and taken out saddam he said something like he didnt know. I see a man processing his life with sad results. i cant imagine what must go thru his head as he watches obama as he prepares for office. I find myself sort of startled by his self reflection and his honesty of late in admitting where he went wrong. Over the last years when asked these sorts of questions hes been hard pressed to think of a thing and yet hes emoting all over the place now. This week as the press comments on obamas cabinet selections and comments made about obamas surrounding himself with strong minded smart people who arent afraid to tell him what they think, it must be difficult for him to hear. The two events, Bush regretting that he hadnt had better intel and yet all of that intel was available to him, had he taken some initiative, or listened to opposing opinions but he didnt and perhaps that will go down in history as being his greatest flaw, the inability to allow himself to get caught up in facts. It made him the perfect patsy and what a terrible legacy that is for him. Ive been trying to think this week of anything that Bush did during his two terms that benefitted the US and there are a few things but they are so outweighed by the dark side. Even with his apparent current epiphanies, hes moving full force to push last minute environmental changes thru that will further rape and pillage the nation. I dont know whats holding him together right now, and as much as i dislike his policies and all that hes done to change america for the worse, i cant help but worry for the human being tucked inside there somewhere who has allowed himself to be manipulated and used in the worst ways.
I agree, but I see too something we're shown time, and time again: the fall of the sanctimonious religious fanatic, who believe themselves annointed by some higher being to ... well, in his case, be "the decider." He was pretty smug after his second term was confirmed -- remember him boasting about all the political capital he had, and how he was going to start spending it?
Maybe he was manipulated and used. Clearly, he was surrounded by smarter people both terms -- of his own choosing -- and they used him (especially Ashcroft, Rumsfeld and Cheney) for their own ends, but he bought in hook, line, and sinker, and he always seemed to think he was pullin' one over on us. I mean ... the dude flat out lied, time, and time again to us. And why? What would permit a person to behave thus? "Religious sanctimony."
"I'm sure some people voted for Barack Obama because of me," said Bush, who leaves office with low approval ratings. "I think most people voted for Barack Obama because they decided they wanted him to be in their living room for the next four years explaining policy. In other words, they made a conscious choice to put him in as president."
He's just ... like Maxwell House coffee, isn't he .... "good to the last drop."
Hes quickly becoming a tragic figure tho. A week or so ago someone asked if he had seen the movie "W" and he said that he had and that he thought it was a good movie. He didnt say that the movie was inaccurate or the motivations given to him in the movie were false. I guess thats what makes his appearance during these last days in office so tragic. Then this week when asked if he had any regrets he stated that he wished that the "intel" he had on iraq had been better and when asked if he still would have invaded iraq and taken out saddam he said something like he didnt know. I see a man processing his life with sad results. i cant imagine what must go thru his head as he watches obama as he prepares for office. I find myself sort of startled by his self reflection and his honesty of late in admitting where he went wrong. Over the last years when asked these sorts of questions hes been hard pressed to think of a thing and yet hes emoting all over the place now. This week as the press comments on obamas cabinet selections and comments made about obamas surrounding himself with strong minded smart people who arent afraid to tell him what they think, it must be difficult for him to hear. The two events, Bush regretting that he hadnt had better intel and yet all of that intel was available to him, had he taken some initiative, or listened to opposing opinions but he didnt and perhaps that will go down in history as being his greatest flaw, the inability to allow himself to get caught up in facts. It made him the perfect patsy and what a terrible legacy that is for him. Ive been trying to think this week of anything that Bush did during his two terms that benefitted the US and there are a few things but they are so outweighed by the dark side. Even with his apparent current epiphanies, hes moving full force to push last minute environmental changes thru that will further rape and pillage the nation. I dont know whats holding him together right now, and as much as i dislike his policies and all that hes done to change america for the worse, i cant help but worry for the human being tucked inside there somewhere who has allowed himself to be manipulated and used in the worst ways.
"I'm sure some people voted for Barack Obama because of me," said Bush, who leaves office with low approval ratings. "I think most people voted for Barack Obama because they decided they wanted him to be in their living room for the next four years explaining policy. In other words, they made a conscious choice to put him in as president."
He's just ... like Maxwell House coffee, isn't he .... "good to the last drop."
He's just ... like Maxwell House coffee, isn't he .... "good to the last drop."