It's hard to measure. In a shallow, short-term way, I'd say America is"institutionally" safer because Obama bolstered and strengthened many of Bush's national security and surveillance programs.
Then again, American debt could throw the United States into complete turmoil on all fronts if international powerbrokers turn to a new reserve currency. I think it's far off, but we're certainly closer to that scenario than we were five years ago. If the floor falls out from under the dollar, "safety" and "defense" will be the last thing on anybody's minds... unless we're talking about martial law, of course.
In terms of soft power, I'd also say that the United States is a bit weaker. Under Bush, there was no question where the US stood on the world stage. America had a clear
raison d'être, and I think that clarity helped put a stopper on "international chaos." Would Putin have advanced into Crimea under the watch of an American president who's not a flake? Would the Arab spring have turned out so poorly? The US certainly wouldn't be pandering to Iran...
So I guess I'd put it like this (and it will sound so hackish, forgive me
): Where America is safer, it's largely thanks to Bush. Where we're weaker, it's largely thanks to Obama (but I'll give Bush a lot of credit for US debt).
