At the same time, if GWB had governed as president as conservatively as he governed Texas, or at least walked the talk, we’d be in a much better place today.
Much of the problem isn’t just that “conservatism” has failed, but that it has been undermined, or hasn’t been tried.
Too late for that now, sadly.
I liked Dubya but much (though not all) of the problems we face today as conservatives rest of his complete inability to get his message across make clear, sober case for what he was trying to do.
That being said, there were many errors of judgment, too.
Like you say, if he just tried halfheartedly, we’d be in a better position. He didn’t. That’s that.