Posted on 06/13/2013 8:09:49 AM PDT by max americana
Former president George W. Bushs popularity is ticking up. For the first time since 2005, Americans opinions of him are more positive than negative. A Gallup poll released Wednesday found 49 percent of Americans view him favorably and 46 percent unfavorably. Mr. Bush has chosen to remain largely out of the public eye since leaving the White House. He told CNN last year that Eight years was awesome, and I was famous and I was powerful but I have no desire for fame and power any more.
When Bush left office in January 2009, he had a 40 percent favorable and 59 percent unfavorable ranking. His approval rating hit its lowest point in April 2008 at 32 percent. At the time the economy was in recession, gas prices approached record highs, and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were jostling for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. The recovery in Bush's image is not unexpected, given that Americans generally view former presidents positively.
Favorable ratings for Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all exceeded 60 percent when Gallup last measured. Yet Bush left office with decidedly negative favorability ratings as well as approval ratings, so the recovery in his image is notable, Gallup writes.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Looks like the answer is yes.
Whatever else he was, at least Dubya was an adult.
“What difference does it make?”
We are stuck with the Socialist Stooge Obama until January 2017. If the Rats get the House back in 2014, we are done.
(if we aren’t done already)
Part of the grand plan to make Jeb the Pubbie nominee in ‘16.
A study in contrasts. As Dubya recedes ever further into history, he starts not looking so bad, considering his successor in office. In fact, in some ways, the Bush-43 years were something of a golden age, with continuing growth despite a sharp spike in foreign entanglements, but with other endeavors that bore some useful fruit. The economic window that was opened with the policy of lowered taxation and some limits on regulation was enough, at least on the short term, to mitigate the effects of increased Federal spending, but the greatest thing Dubya could be faulted for, is a total disinclination to exercise the veto pen at several critical junctures.
As it turned out, the period 2001-2009 was marked by WAY more “go along to get along” than any prudent leader should have engaged in. Outreach to Democrats paid few if any dividends.
Miss me yet?
You beat me to it. What difference does it make? The Rats will be stealing elections from now on. They’ve shown us how they do it, and there isn’t much we can do about it.
I believe the American people recognized that. However we are an adolescent people and don't like having adult s in charge. Hence, we picked the boy president the next time around.
But we know better, even if we don't act better. Consider Bush and the Patriot Act. There is much that is wrong with the Patriot Act but, aside from the diehards on the Left (and some of us on the Right who were/are deeply concerned about where it is taking us) people generally accepted some of the trade off. That was due, I think, to a begrudging respect for George Bush. You really knew that he signed on to it out of a desire to protect the American people.
Now we have the NSA and IRS scandals (among multiple others). Why are those things hurting Obama's ratings? Because even the adolescents of the country are suspicious of Obama's motives. They know he is not the adult that Bush is and they know that Obama is in it for the power and for the "fundamental transformation." Actual protection of the American people is way down on his list of priorities.
Americans are not stupid. They are foolish and they are woefully under-informed (thanks LSM), but they are not stupid.
Bush now is acting presidential. Before he was just Cheney’s Mortimer Snerd.
The nail in the Bush coffin was the Housing market. Had it not burst as it did we would have been fine. Thank you Dodd and Frank, enjoy your retirements!
*sigh*
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