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politics
Bush Actually Not Nation's Worst President, Historians Say
For all the Bush bashers out there who say George W. was the worst president America has ever had, hold up. C-SPAN has a rebuttal.
C-SPAN, the cable television network devoted to televising government proceedings, released its Historians Survey of Presidential Leadership a few days ago in honor of Presidents' Day.
According to the votes of 65 presidential historians, George W. Bush was the country's 36th best president. That would make him, with 42 presidents total in U.S. history, the 7th worst president.
So don't call him the worst, at least for now. Unless you are willing to tango with 65 historians who together say otherwise.
Bob Woodward,one of the journalists who covered the Nixon Watergate scandal for The Washington Post, once asked Bush how history would judge the Iraq War. "History," Bush responded. "We don't know. We'll all be dead."
He'd probably be surprised to see this survey. (By the way, Nixon was ranked 27th overall).
After the jump, let's take a look at the rest of the list.Everyone's favorite president, Abraham Lincoln, came in first, followed by George Washington and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. James Buchanan came in last, at 42.
The historians also ranked the presidents in terms of 10 leadership characteristics. Bush didn't do that well on the rest of the tests, but Bush-bashers, let it be known, he was never the worst.
In the area of public persuasion, Bush was ranked 30th. FDR was first and James Buchanan last.
In the area of moral authority, Bush was 35th, George Washington was first and Buchanan last.
In the area of relations with Congress, Bush was 36th, FDR was first, and Andrew Johnson was last.
In the area of performance within the context of time, Bush was 36th, Lincoln first and James Buchanan last.
In the area of crisis leadership, Bush was 25th, Lincoln first and Buchanan last.
In the area of vison/ setting an agenda, Bush was 25th, Lincoln was first, and Buchanan last.
In the area of economic management, Bush was 40th, Washington was first and Buchanan last.
In the area of administrative skills, Bush was 37th, Washington was first and William Henry Harrison last.
In the area of pursued equal justice for all, Bush was 24th, Lincoln was first and Buchanan last.
In the area of international relations, Bush was 41, George Washington was first and William Henry Harrison last.
William Henry Harrison died after 32 days in office, so is it really fair to count him? I don't think so.
Bush bashers, if you want to say Bush was the worst president in the area of international relations, I'll let that slide.
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rick
10:48PM 10:48PM Feb 19th 2009
I read the article you referred to as well - and actually Bush was tied with Nixon for being the FIFTH worst president in our country's history.
I also found it interesting that some of the "top" worst presidents died before they even came close to completing their first term.
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phil
10:30AM 10:30AM Feb 20th 2009
Unfair analysis...a survey like this is like saying a doctor was awful because the surgery he did yesterday is not healed yet, while the surgery you had eight years ago is completely healed!
GIVE IT TIME, THEN judge whether or not, in light of the long term effects of decisions made in office, former President Bush fits highly within the framework of historical presidents.
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JUDY
4:40AM 4:40AM Feb 20th 2009
Any list for worst president without Jimmy Carter's name on it is absolutely not legitimate. Bush complaints all stack up under the Liberal hysteria of the last few years so that they could elect their own president. Don't you ever get sick of that mantra "Bush did it"? Lets get on with what Obama is and is not doing. He is a terrible mistake and I wonder if you'll be shouting THAT to the roof tops?
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Joe
5:07AM 5:07AM Feb 20th 2009
Well in all fairness, Bush supporters were blaming Clinton pretty much the entire 8 years Bush was in office.
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Henry C. Hannah
6:49AM 6:49AM Feb 20th 2009
A president will have to go a long way to be lower in the two most common areas than Bush. Second from bottom on economy which is the big hurdle for president Obama to get going. Taking leave granted, Bush is dead last in foreign relations. We had to go it alone because Bush offended our traditional allies that could have helped with the war. It is amazing that America was dumb enough to re-elect him because we all knew his record. In going forward people should keep in mind that President Obama has to overcome the second worst economy president's work and that will take help from the Republicans and not obstruction. Also in the wars we are fighting we need allies and President Obama has some fences to mend and new bridges to build to have a strong allied force against terrorism. I do hate to say I told you so, but I did tell all who would listen. Too many forgot separation of church and state and allowed tele-evangelists to make voting decisions based on one issue abortion and nothing has been done in that area either.
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clrush69
11:05AM 11:05AM Feb 20th 2009
Seems to me, any posting with "liberal hysteria" might not be very objective. Judy, while most of your party LOVE to say Jimmy Carter was the worst, he was actually a good man of peace, and strove to bring us to peace. He's also done more for homeless Americans and families than ANY body from your party, so let's be fair, OK? MUCH better than Bush,Jr. who seems to have wanted to be the opposite.
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Kat
1:32PM 1:32PM Feb 20th 2009
Liberal hysteria? What about the knee jerk reactionism of the Republican party after 9/11? Although I will grant the general populace was freaking out, it was still the Republican's the got us the like of illegal wire-tapping and the Patriot Act.
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Tammie
4:32PM 4:32PM Mar 4th 2009
WOW...President Obama has ONLY been in office little over 30 days
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Charles
1:53PM 1:53PM Mar 17th 2009
My dear, Judy, you certainly can't reember the Carter presidency if you think he was a bad president. Please look at what he followed. You had Nixon leaving Washington with his tail between his legs and then Ford pardoning him. You had the US declaring "victory in VietNam as they were being chased out. President Carter brought America back to a country we could be proud of. Reagan's financial successes were initiated by Caeter.
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knight
12:01PM 12:01PM Feb 20th 2009
I reckon if JESUS come back today, and register any
political affiliation other than republican,the
"Fox/Rush/Hannity and Savage followers,might just
suggest His crucifixion the second time arround.The
incessant attack(on anyone who doesn't share 100% of
their views and ideas)is redundant,predictable,purely
commercialistic,and incendiary.
I consider myself moderate to conservative,other than
student loan/grant in college, I've never partake from any public trough; which is more than I can say for
many conservative closet welfarers-rich and poor.
Even in these trying times,my family and I are holding
our own,yes it's hard,and what solutions is this group
touting,TAX CUT,only TAX CUT,and nothing but TAX CUT.
I want to pay only the absolutely necessary taxes,but
tax cut is not the only magic elixir,so common people,
before you get tuned out by majority of America.
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lou
9:22AM 9:22AM Mar 2nd 2009
The only thing Bush's tax cuts did was raise taxes in state and local governments -- income, property and sales taxes in my state went up, and my state has a budget deficit still. I live in a red state with a republican governor.
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Tammie
4:31PM 4:31PM Mar 4th 2009
You are absolutely correct. My home taxes, state taxes,etc.went up after years of remaining the same and he STILL got us into a financial crisis that others would like to blame on Pres.Obama already.
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Kris Marshall
8:35AM 8:35AM Mar 5th 2009
You state that you have never taken government assistance other than a GI loan? I doubt it. If you own a home you are likely taking a large tax break for your mortgage interest and property taxes-unavailable to renters. You likely will rely on Social Security and Medicare in your senior years-receiving back far more than the value of your contributions. If you have children, it is quite likely that they go to school and that the school is heavily subsidized by state and federal funds. Depending on where you live, you may rely on state subsidized energy such as TVA for electricity. You may well have a paved road from your home to nearby towns that ease your mobiility. IF you have received a vaccination or medical treatment, you likely benfited from government funding of basic scientific and medical research. The list goes on and on. The vast majority of Americans, particularly middle class Americans, receive far more in government benefits than they pay in taxes. The result is massive budget deficits generated by repeated tax cuts (also known as loans from our children) a weakened economy and reduced international competitiveness.
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gshort3011
9:12AM 9:12AM Feb 20th 2009
What about the area of corruption? Grant, Harding, Reagan, and Bush Jr. all lead the pack.
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Greg
9:15AM 9:15AM Feb 20th 2009
What about the area of corruption? Grant, Harding, Nixon, Reagan and Bush jr. all republicans win that prize,
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j
9:26AM 9:26AM Feb 20th 2009
Wait until the truth comes out, then Bush will be the worst. He's a torturer. He's an illegal eavesdropper on EVERYONE, including journalists. And he's a humongous liar. He's the worst.
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serena
1:44PM 1:44PM Feb 20th 2009
Yeah, Bush really cares about what you have to say on the phone to your stupid friends.
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j
3:22PM 3:22PM Feb 20th 2009
Serena: The point is not whether anyone is actually listening to my telephone calls or even if I have telephone calls with my "stupid friends" (I now count you among those), the point is that illegal eavesdropping is illegal. Bush had no right to do it but did it anyway. Anyone else...they'd be spending time in jail, as George should. He's a war criminal, a torturer and an illegal snoop. He's the worst ever!
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tresatwins
10:10AM 10:10AM Feb 20th 2009
We have only scratched the surface on all the destruction Bush has brought about. Once the rest of his lies and corruption surface he will keeping falling. Just like his numbers during his term.
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Murray
12:09PM 12:09PM Feb 20th 2009
"moral authority"? George Washington was a slave owner who cheated on his wife!
"international relations"? What international relations did Washington lead? the civil war? c'mon, these guys don't know what they're talking about.
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