Posted on 08/26/2007 7:08:30 PM PDT by ricks_place
Historians debate whether his stature will increase after he leaves office
WASHINGTON — If Harry S. Truman did it, why can't George W. Bush?
Truman came back from the political abyss — his public approval rating sank as low as 22 percent thanks in large part to America's entry into the Korean War and his handling of labor disputes at home — to become regarded by historians as one of the nation's top 10 presidents.
Lately, some Bush administration officials and White House associates have predicted that President Bush — mired in an unpopular war in Iraq and saddled with the low Nixon-level approval ratings — will get the Truman treatment by historians after he leaves office in January 2009.
"I think when the history is written that, in fact, it will reflect credit upon this president and his administration," Vice President Dick Cheney told CNN's Larry King last month.
Will history really give Bush the Truman bounce?
Several historians doubt it, noting that no other president other than the former haberdasher from Independence, Mo., has received such a 180-degree revision to the benefit of his legacy.
"I don't think any president has had as significant a re-evaluation as Truman," said Columbia University historian Alan Brinkley. "(Dwight) Eisenhower has risen in historical evaluation quite a lot, but not to the same degree. (James) Polk was once ranked much higher than he now usually is. I suspect (Ronald) Reagan will fluctuate a good deal over time."
Bush, Brinkley said, "does not seem to me to have many achievements that would earn him a high ranking — again, unless the Iraq war turns out, unexpectedly, to be successful in the long term."
Historians tend to rank presidents as "great," "near great," "above average," "average," "below average" or "failure." George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt routinely top most presidential surveys conducted every few years by historians and other experts.
Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt usually rank just below the top three. Truman, who produced the Marshall Plan to rebuild war-damaged Europe and the Truman Doctrine to protect free peoples from falling under communism and who decided to desegregate America's military, consistently appears on most lists.
Fading in and out of the top 10 list are James Monroe, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Eisenhower, Reagan and John F. Kennedy.
There's almost no argument among scholars about failed presidents, with Warren G. Harding, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan firmly ensconced at the bottom of the list.
Bush currently is in the middle of the pack of presidents in the most recent rankings. A 2005 survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal and the Federalist Society had Bush ranked 19 among America's 43 presidents, and a 2002 ranking by the Siena College's Research Institute listed him at 23rd.
But with 17 months left in his presidency, some historians already have predicted that Bush is destined for the failed presidents' club largely because of the Iraq war, his handling of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath and his inability to get legacy-building Social Security and immigration changes through Congress.
Robert Dallek, a Boston University history professor and the author of the book Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power, said it's too soon to call Bush a failure, but he added that the historical evidence is stacking up against the president.
"You bounce back if the person behind you is worse," said Dallek. "Ronald Reagan had Jimmy Carter. Hard to imagine that there will be a series of presidents who will make Bush look better."
Bush may not mount a Truman-like comeback, some presidential scholars say, but he may be able to inch his way up a spot or two in the rankings the way a few troubled presidents have.
Lyndon Johnson left the White House publicly and physically beaten down by his unpopular escalation of the Vietnam War. But time has helped Johnson's place in history as scholarly reviews and several books have highlighted his domestic accomplishments, which included pushing civil rights legislation through Congress, the creation of the Great Society programs and his attempt to declare war on poverty.
Then you have an extremely limited imagination, Dr. Dallek.
President Bush cut our taxes which helped us out of recession, the Clinton recession, and thus has helped in giving us one of the best economic prosperity on record.
President Bush appointed two great conservative Supreme Court Justices.
President Bush is the most pro-life President since Roe Vs Wade criminality has been established.
President Bush is one of the greatest Presidents ever, despite the lies of the left wing lunatics, the frustrated Buchaninites and faux right wing nuts and the left wing media that say otherwise.
God bless President Bush. God bless our brave troops. God bless America.
Around the same time, he also cut back our defense budget to its bare bones. He and his Secretary of Defense decided they could rely on being able to use the A-bomb.
Only after South Korea was invaded by North Korea in 1950, did Truman send underprepared and undersupplied troops back to South Korea to REWIN and defend its freedom.
30,000 Americans died in Korea in the last 30 months of Truman's presidency.
Most of them would not have been killed in Korea from 1950 to 1953 if Truman had not abandoned Korea in 1949.
Its always liberal presidential scholars who are making an effort to refurbish and revise Harry Truman`s legacy. After ordering the A-Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Truman went back to his old liberal ways. FDR`s New Deal gave way to Truman`s Fair Deal. The Fair Deal included the first attempt at nationalized health care. Truman was a liberal Democrat and proud of it too.
Amen, jveritas.
What planet does this reporter live on? LBJ's entire premise of government being the solution to everything is wildly discredited amongst anyone with a brain. Maybe that's why he is so revered by modern libs.
President Bush will have accomplished more in the ME than any other President. Iraq is only going to improve as the warlords unite with the gummit and peace begins to grow.
Pray for W and Our Troops
It is absolute idiocy when hateful liberals or few bitter conservatives say that he is the worst President ever, he did not only change the course of history in a profound way but he he also did it in a positive way.
And now people try to say that it was his policies that won the Cold War. To which I respond with incredulity and suppressed fury.
Agree 100%. The man has changed history in a very profound and positive way and only a fool and/or hateful person cannot see or admit this fact.
Amen, Amen, and Amen!!!
While I object to your characterization of people who want a secure border as “frustrated Buchananites...right-wing nuts, etc” I have to agree with you for the most part.
While I, like many others, feel betrayed by his stance on illegal immigration, I don’t let it blind me to all the good Bush has done. Unfortunately, others on FR overlook all his accomplishments in their hurt. While there’s no doubt he’s made mistakes, I think Bush will be seen as a fundamentally good president in historical hindsight.
President Bush is humble enough not to be worried about how history judges him. That is the only way a true leader can approach such monumental issues as he has tackled.
He is always going to ruffle feathers attacking such issues which is one of the reasons/media bias he is hated by so many. You can’t lead and be worried about your popularity at the same time. History will have the benefit of hindsight and will be one of the top accomplishing Presidents.
Pray for W and Our Troops
I am not saying that the people who want tougher policies against illegal immigration are bitter Buchananites, I also want these policies. I meant by bitter Buchananites the defeatists and the isolationists on our side (look at Ron Paul supporters).
Srange thing about this President,he’s put his legacy on the line mainly by demanding an open border concept that US citizens clearly reject.His no child left behind program was actually co-authored by Ted Kennedy and increased funding to existing public education in spite of claiming during his first presidential run that he would push alternatives to the system. He gave tax payers the extra cost of government payed prescription drugs for the elderly and he tried to pawn off Harriet Miers BEFORE public opinion forced him to nominate a more conservative judge !!!
Surely Jimmy Carter belongs in that circle of 4 or 5 worst Presidents, but again he benefits by being a Democrat. And to think JFK belongs in the upper ranks, when his positive accomplishments were largely confined to making a few inspiring speeches, is ludicrous. He managed not to get us all blown up at the time of the Cuban missile crisis, but better handling of Khrushchev and Cuba might have avoided the crisis altogether.
I agree 100%.
Bush is not independent enough to get that treatment. Like so many corporation sacrifice their employees; you pay a high price for being independent and Bush is very belholden to people who want globalization.
1964: Robert Byrd (D-WVA) filibustered for 14 hours and 13 minutes in an unsuccessful attempt to block the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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Good Presidents do not worry about their legacies.
That explains why Klintoon was always concerned about his and why GW is never concerned about his.
Was he wearing his KKK hood and cape? LOL
Amen to that. He will be remembered for greatness, in my opinion.
All that is true, but he also gave us lots of spending and he created another social program with his prescription drug deal.
He was also 100% wrong on illegal immigration.
He will go down as good on the war, good on judges after pressure from conservatives and bad on immigration and social welfare programs IMO.
He will be 50% great, and 50% out of touch in the history books.
Being war is on, the good part being about the war is good for us.
I agree and the creation of homeland security and Patriot acts I and II has gone a long way to creating a police state. And sooo much more.
Tiberius looked pretty good after a few years of his successor, Caligula.
That’s Bush’s best hope.
At least Caligula didn’t lose a war to Mexico.
Truman set in motion policies that helped rescue a destroyed Europe from communist take over, but didn’t manage to rescue the “Iron Curtain” countries, which came back into their own with the fall of the Soviet empire.
However, subsequent Democrat presidents after 1970 tried to water down those policies and turned a blind eye to the threat and oppression of communism.
Thus, Truman didn’t win the Cold War, but he helped at the beginning of that war.
If there is an analogy with Truman and Bush, it is that President Bush won’t win the War on Terror, but he also has set in motion policies and goals that a subsequent president can build on and that may end up giving us the win.
Bush is one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history.
That convinced the communists we would not fight to the finish. This led to Vietnam, which we abandoned after 14 years, leading to the death of millions.
Had Truman allowed victory in Korea, the world would have been a much safer place for the next 50 years. The Bush "Legacy?" He has been stunningly inarticulate. So whatever the facts of the case, it's going to be a good long time before his real accomplishments are honored.
He was an absolute disaster as a president. The worst part of his "legacy?" He inadvertently gave Clinton the idea that you can run the United States by working an hour or so a day and spend most of your time in amorous dalliance, as long as you control communications.
Amen to that.
I agree.
Speaking of Caligula, he only joked about making his horse a consul. On the morning after election day in 2008, the country may wake up to the fact it has just elected a horse’s ass as President.
That my friend will be his legacy which gives him a 50% great 50% bad legacy in my opinion.
Let me put it this way, don’t look for Pete Bush or Jeb Bush to make a successful run at the White House, the people are quite through with the family, though we ALL owe the President on the War.
Damn! You aren't taking any prisoners today! lol!
Any President who can pull the USA out of a tech crash, corporation scandals, and an attack on US soil and into a booming economy all the while overthrowing the Taliban and the heinous Hussein Regime SHOULD go down as one of the great US Presidents.
Reagan was hated by Many Conservatives for Spending, SALT, Lukewarm receptions with Pro-Life and Expanding gummit. They have forgotten much of the reasons they hated him do to winning the Cold War.
You dislike him for taking a stand that you disagree with. There is no good choices for real Leaders.
Pray for W and Our Troops
Well, I am one of those "people" and I will remember the robust economy. And in particular when I refinanced my home down from 7.5% to 6% and saved ~$80K on the life of my mortgage, I will remember the federal tax rates being reduced in 2001 & further reduced in 2003 whereby I am keeping $4K of my salary each year. And I will remember the H1B visa being reduced back to the original quota of 65,000 per year from the high of 194,000 per year (close to 1.2 million tech workers at any one time in the US) which drove my salary up to a good $40K more per year.
In all, I saved $80K on my mortgage, $4K per year extra on my salary, and $40K per year larger salary.
From 2001 that's about $80K + $24K + $240K = $344K (that I earned extra and/or do not owe).
Not to shabby!
Well the government that Reagan expanded was called the US military.
Reagan, Thatcher and Pope John Paul II all had a major role in the downfall of communist Russia.
Reagan was betrayed by a Democrat congress who promised to cut spending outside of the military by three dollars for every increased dollar in taxes he allowed.
Seems the two men had different issues in their lives.
Bush is NO REAGAN, though he has handled the war well IMO.
True, he added lower tax rates temporarily which helped the economy.
Problem is the mortgage industry made lots of dirty bad loans that will lead us into a recession before the election IMO and that will negate the memory of prosperity under his watch.
People kind if forget that an economy, real estate and other markets are all cyclical.
I think Bush will be remembered like the president he most closely resembles : LBJ. Both were huge big government spenders who created massive entitlement programs. And both were from Texas.
Amen Tom, Amen.
Journalists confuse political pundits with historians. But, they confuse Algore with scientists and jihadists with freedom fighters.
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