by Elmo Adams

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: November 18, 2008

There is but one reason why time has run out on the legacy of the Bush Presidency. Time runs in a linear fashion and, as far as we know, in just one direction. Now there is nothing to do but run out the clock which losing teams do not normally want to do. In the game of presidential politics, however, if you can take the game to overtime, the Bush team can leave the field and let the Democratic team play alone. It is a surreal analogy. In addition to one team leaving the field, the game changes. It was football, but on January 20 changes to golf. If the Democrats can shoot par or a couple over, they will be deemed to have won. And George Bush will have lost in a way so severe that it will be hard for even his most ardent critics to view it.

Was it destined to be this way? Little in his youth pointed him toward leadership. His brother Jeb exhibited these qualities and was expected to carry forth the Bush banner. George seemed destined to be a professional nice guy and haver of fun. When we view him dancing with citizens in a far off land, some mock him, but honest observation shows that he likes these people and is having a good time in their country.

After sneaking into office as the candidate one might like to share a draft with, the Bush Presidency reached its zenith after 9/11 when the President, bullhorn in hand, shouted at the terrorists that they could hear us and would hear much more from us in the future.
Americans were behind their president. His approval ratings were sky high. Our allies were on our side. These were tragic, frightening times for the nation, but feel good times for Bush. He was Commander in Chief and his war against evil could not be defined more clearly.

For a time, the former jet pilot held the stick firmly, but then it began to nudge forward and there was no way to pull out of the long dive. There was no reason to invade Iraq. Colin Powell told Bush as much, and so did many others. Rumsfeld's reason for invading Iraq was that "there were not enough targets" in Afghanistan. Bush listened to such foolish advice and lots like it. A great deal of planning went into the invasion of Iraq, and if anything that incorporates the killing of innocent people can be termed a success, then the invasion contained aspects of such. The occupation that followed was a clear F.

The economic collapse of 2008 was an exclamation point on the sentence that was Bush's second term. What it confirmed was that the legacy of the Bush II presidency was such a large albatross around the neck of war hero John McCain that there was no chance that he could prevent the election of the charismatic first black president, Barack Obama.

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