Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Worst President Ever? Maybe...Maybe Not.

It has become pretty fashionable not only among liberals, but even conservatives to see the Bush years as a big failure.

On the other side, there are Bush partisans who believe that the former President will be vindicated, just give it time.

Now I have been one of many who think that George Bush was not a good executive. I think he was not up to the task of the many tests that came his way from 9/11 to Katrina. But that said, I think it is too early to say the 43rd President was the worst ever or even that he will be vindicated in time. We just don't know.

I don't know if it is central to our times, but we want to make our historic judgements as soon as possible. But the fact is, history takes time and history is something that is ongoing and is an unknown. Bush has made many mistakes and cheif among them was his willingness to take the nation to war against Iraq. President Bush set several bad things in motion because of what he did and we know that. But we don't know the future. We have no idea how something like Iraq will play out over the years. Maybe Iraq will descend into a civil war as the US starts to leave. Maybe it will become a thriving democracy and an example to the rest of the Middle East, we just don't know.

It goes without saying that Bush had made mistakes that have cost the GOP and the nation as a whole. But it might be too soon to say he is the worst president, or to vindicate him because it is just too soon and some of things started under Bush are still taking place.

Decades from now, historians might look back and say that Bush was a horrible President, look at how the world was impacted by his years. But they may also say he did his best under the circumstances or things like that.

But until then, I will withhold my ultimate judgement on Bush. Let history play itself out and be the proper judge.

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