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So George W. Bush isn't a monster, after all
Yahoo News ^ | 5/8/14 | Matt Bai

Posted on 05/08/2014 9:51:24 AM PDT by TangledUpInBlue

If you've just crash-landed from the planet known as Kepler-186f and have no experience with the human life form or its recent history, let me just clarify something for you: George W. Bush was a divisive and unsuccessful president. Economically, internationally, culturally — you name the category of leadership, and the results pretty much range from disappointment to disaster. A CBS News/New York Times poll clocked Bush's final approval rating at 22 percent, which is about as low as you can go in politics without needing a parole officer.

You may get confused about this, because lately Bush is enjoying a public restoration. The Bush you read about these days is the kind of inclusive conservative you can deal with, a guy who bikes with wounded veterans, a sensitive portraitist of world leaders. A graphic this week on FiveThirtyEight.com showed how fewer and fewer Americans blame Bush for the country's economic morass, even though his successor, Barack Obama, won two presidential campaigns based on precisely that premise.

Bush's critics will argue that this is testament to how quickly we forget the past. But it has more to do, really, with how we distort the present.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush43; dubya; georgewbush
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I've always said that history will be kinder to him. For me, the first President that was close in age to myself at the time he was elected.

It'll be interesting to see how he's judged even 10 years from now. But interestingly enough, this article, from a NY Times writer essentially admits that his successor won by blaming him and that now, that blame may not entirely be justified.

Go figure.

1 posted on 05/08/2014 9:51:24 AM PDT by TangledUpInBlue
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To: TangledUpInBlue

Yahoo News is extreme hard left.
It makes Obama/Pelosi look like Tea Party members.


2 posted on 05/08/2014 9:54:27 AM PDT by Verbosus (/* No Comment */)
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To: TangledUpInBlue

A great honorable man who the left and media slimed as he was doing the right thing for America. Execpt he should have vetoed spending bills.


3 posted on 05/08/2014 9:54:44 AM PDT by ncfool (Hilary 2016 Procol Harum or Boko Haram. What difference does it make?)
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To: TangledUpInBlue

“Obama may not ultimately be remembered as a great president (though he’ll likely fare better than Bush). But at some point, we should all be able to grant that he’s at least a good American.”

Then again, maybe Matt Bai is certifiable. Wow!


4 posted on 05/08/2014 9:55:25 AM PDT by TangledUpInBlue (I have no home. I'm the wind.)
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To: TangledUpInBlue

I have always liked and respected him.


5 posted on 05/08/2014 9:56:05 AM PDT by Churchillspirit (9/11/2001 and 9/11/2012: NEVER FORGET.)
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To: TangledUpInBlue
There were WMDs in Saddam's Iraq. Bush was right.

The Russkies' Speznast helped Saddam convoy them to Syria.

I think some of them made it to Libya.

By the way, where's Allegra?

6 posted on 05/08/2014 9:56:14 AM PDT by FroggyTheGremlim ("It is not the color of his skin, ... it is the blackness that fills his soul")
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To: eCSMaster

Allegra?


7 posted on 05/08/2014 9:57:38 AM PDT by TangledUpInBlue (I have no home. I'm the wind.)
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To: TangledUpInBlue
For me, the first President that was close in age to myself at the time he was elected.

Bill Clinton is one month younger than W.

8 posted on 05/08/2014 9:58:38 AM PDT by ClaytonP
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To: eCSMaster; Allegra

I thought she was stateside?


9 posted on 05/08/2014 9:59:27 AM PDT by Envisioning (It's the Jihad, stupid......)
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To: TangledUpInBlue
George W. Bush was a divisive and unsuccessful president

Really? Because he looks like George Friggin' Washington compared to THIS guy.


10 posted on 05/08/2014 10:00:37 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: TangledUpInBlue; GeronL
let me just clarify something for you: George W. Bush was a divisive and unsuccessful president. Economically, internationally, culturally — you name the category of leadership

Barack H. Obama IS a divisive and unsuccessful president man child. Economically, internationally, culturally - you name the category of leadership...

There, I fixed it.

11 posted on 05/08/2014 10:01:04 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: ClaytonP
Bill Clinton is one month younger than W.

Nice to see that Fact Checking is still alive and well in the MSM...


12 posted on 05/08/2014 10:02:11 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: TangledUpInBlue

He may have not been a monster, but he was not a great president. That’s just being honest. If we want to move forward we have to recognize the deficiencies of the people we supported so we don’t make the same mistakes.


13 posted on 05/08/2014 10:02:30 AM PDT by StolarStorm
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To: TangledUpInBlue

bump


14 posted on 05/08/2014 10:03:22 AM PDT by EveningStar
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To: TangledUpInBlue

The two purposes of this article are (a) spin for Ms Clinton and (b) begin the post-presidency rehabilitation of Obama.

Mr Clinton has certainly done a masterful job of rehabilitating himself. He is still the moral reprobate that he always was but somehow now he is looked upon as the wise Demoncrat elder statesman. Know what, he could be the wisest Demoncrat elder stateman - the competition is pretty weak.


15 posted on 05/08/2014 10:03:24 AM PDT by bagman
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To: TangledUpInBlue

It’s easy to get your numbers up when the media isn’t hammering you all the time.


16 posted on 05/08/2014 10:03:29 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: StolarStorm

Precisely why we must say No to Jeb.


17 posted on 05/08/2014 10:03:32 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: TangledUpInBlue

My approval of Obama will rise immeasurably once he is out of office. At the moment, Barack Hussein Obama is an evil, anti-American thug with the power to destroy my country, and no one in history has lower approval from me than BHO. Once out of office, Barack Hussein Obama will be an evil, anti-American thug with far less direct power. I’ll fear him a lot less when he no longer has the power to destroy freedom, and I’m anxious to finally reach that glorious day.


18 posted on 05/08/2014 10:03:36 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: TangledUpInBlue

“Obama may not ultimately be remembered as a great president (though he’ll likely fare better than Bush). But at some point, we should all be able to grant that he’s at least a good American.”

I was reading the oped and not being too critical until he got to the end when he made preposterous assumptions about Obama and his legacy. Obama will decrease as times goes by, which is not the usual case in politicians. But Obama has been elevated so high by the MSM, that he really has no where else to go but down.


19 posted on 05/08/2014 10:03:47 AM PDT by Gumdrop (~)
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To: TangledUpInBlue
Simple answer is that they are paving the way for Jeb because the enemedia is scared sh*tless that someone like Ted Cruz could actually win the GOP nomination.

But don't worry, once Jeb is safely nominated, he will get the Romney treatment.

20 posted on 05/08/2014 10:03:49 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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