4 of 73

Write now Article Tools

George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, is ending his presidency with the lowest approval rating of any president since Richard Nixon. While many view him as a neo-con responsible for many inappropriate activities, others view him as a patriot who has protected the citizenry of the United States from the threat of terrorism. One thing is sure, history will probably view him differently than is presently the case.

When elected, George Bush seemed to be a compassionate republican politician who would work across the party lines to unify all Americans towards a new era of politics that would be notable for cooperation. The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 changed everything. Most Americans unified in horror, and supported a military response to the atrocity in New York. That morning attack on 9/11 changed everything about the Bush presidency that was to come.

Those who supported Bush in his election expected him to advance conservative policies during his time in office. Others, who opposed him, feared that he would attack liberal causes and seek to impose conservatism in areas of abortion, and gay rights issues. He was feared by liberals, and championed by evangelicals.

The truth is, George Bush was never permitted to be the president that he intended to be. His mantra of being a compassionate conservative was replaced by the necessity of being the leader of the free world against terrorist threats. Unfortunately, history already shows us that many decisions were based upon faulty information supplied by spy gathering agencies worldwide, including our own CIA and FBI.

Now, George W. Bush cannot be judged for what he intended to do as president. His plans for his administration were never permitted to come to fruition. Instead, Bush is viewed for his decisions regarding the War on Terror, and the actions taken in Afghanistan and Iraq. Had he done nothing, he would have been viewed as a failed president who had no stomach for fighting terrorism. By the actions taken by Bush, he is viewed as having failed to quickly resolve the terrorism question. This was a no-win situation.

Because he did not communicate well with the American public, or the world press; Bush has been condemned to having failed in his presidency. In reality, he has discharged his primary responsibility to protect the United States citizenry from attack on its own soil. This success goes unrecognized by those who hate war, and conflict.

The negative views of George W. Bush will probably diminish as time passes. There will always be some whose hatred will match the dislike many felt about the moral character of former president Bill Clinton. Both men are intelligent politicians who were subjected to the worst kind of negative press during their administrations. One can only hope that all former presidents are appreciated for the good that they have done, and forgiven for their mistakes. Perfect men, and perfect presidents are hard to come by.

Learn more about this author, Bob Schmidt.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Views on George Bush?
We want to hear your view. Write now!