Obama has far more freedom of action than Ford did. Ford's hands were tied to a much greater extent than Obama's. Obama is still doing what he wants, while Ford was constrained by Congress (back when Congress could constrain a President!).
Bush II is like LBJ and Nixon put together -- like LBJ, Bush II put US ground troops in there, and like Nixon, Bush II wound it down.
I'd also put more responsibility on JFK for Vietnam.
I like that analogy. But unlike many FReepers, I still put all the blame on Bush II. His failure to destroy radical islam has put all of Western civilization at risk.
Look, LBJ really had no historical lessons to draw on. Korea was the closest match, and there we at least fought to a draw.
But Bush II had all of Vietnam's lessons in front of him. He knew what not to do. But he took crazy chances anyway. He repeated LBJ's mistakes. Yep, I know Bush II is a decent man, a patriot, etc., etc. But his blunders will eventually effect most of the world. Radical islam is on the march, stronger now than before Bush II took office.
After 9/11, we needed an FDR, a man who understood what "unconditional surrender" really meant. Instead in Bush we got an LBJ.
Back to my bunker.