Is the Bush Presidency a Failure?? 55% of Americans think so. Do you?

[Smash255]

55% of the country believes that the Bush Presidency is a failure according to a new CNN/ Opinion Research Company, do you think the Bush Presidency is a failure?

[MODU]

No.  Congress on the other hand...

[WalterMitty]

no

[Everett]

"Failure" is a total understatement. I have to strain my memory to remember one positive thing that came out of this blasted presidency.

[adam]

No.

[bullmoose88]

Yes

[MODU]

"Failure" is a total understatement. I have to strain my memory to remember one positive thing that came out of this blasted presidency.

Every presidency has good things in it, even if you disagree with 99% of it.  You just choose not recognize it.

[Frodo]

How many here view the Truman presidency as a failure more than half-a-century since the end of the Truman administration? 

I will withhold my judgment concerning the success or failure of the Bush administration until history will have revealed in full the consequences of his policies and decisions.  It is too early to cast judgment now.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

No--and I thought his approval rating was 33%.  That would make his "failure" rating 65-66% (depending on rounding)--or is this a different poll?

[Eraserhead]

Only 55%? That is sad. Anyway...complete failure.

[Eraserhead]

No--and I thought his approval rating was 33%.  That would make his "failure" rating 65-66% (depending on rounding)--or is this a different poll?

This has nothing to do with his current approval rating. This was a poll that measured people's views of his overall presidency, not what they think of how he is handling his job at the moment.

[MODU]

No--and I thought his approval rating was 33%.  That would make his "failure" rating 65-66% (depending on rounding)--or is this a different poll?

This has nothing to do with his current approval rating. This was a poll that measured people's views of his overall presidency, not what they think of how he is handling his job at the moment.

Most of those people are only focused on Iraq.  It's my experience that most people are politcally clueless as to what is going on.  We here are a rare few since we actually are interested in politics.

[Smash255]

Complete & utter failure

[opebo]

Are you kidding?  It is a huge success for its backers - huge tax cuts, massive transfer payments (through Iraq) from the public treasury to GOP interest groups, eight more years of stagnant wages for the majority and lack of any regulatory oversite whatsoever.

The only more successful administration from the perspective of those that matter in the US would probably be Reagan's.

[Gabu]

No--and I thought his approval rating was 33%.  That would make his "failure" rating 65-66% (depending on rounding)--or is this a different poll?

You don't have to think that someone is a failure to disapprove of his or her handling of a job.

[HardRCafé]

How many here view the Truman presidency as a failure more than half-a-century since the end of the Truman administration?

[raises hand]

[Silent Hunter]

Ask me again in two years time.

[Reaganfan]

In 1953, Truman left office with an extremely low approval rating and was called a terrible President for his handling of the Korean War. Now, 50 years later, we look back on him as one of the greats.

For centuries to come, just as we see FDR during Pearl Harbor, saying things like "a date which will live in infamy" and "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself", we will look back on GWB during September 11, 2001 and remember him saying things like "I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down...will hear all of us soon", and "You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists."

Strong statements. Bush's downfall? Iraq. Everyone's downfall really. Kerry, Edwards, Clinton, Gore, Hillary, Lieberman, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell...everyone....thought Saddam had weapons. He prolly did, we know he did, he used them on the Kurds 15-20 years ago. He probably moved them to Syria with the idiot Assad in power.

The fact of the matter is, Bush had a wonderful first term, and a crappy second term thus far.

[Silent Hunter]

Concur. Things really went wrong with Katrina.

[Reaganfan]

Concur. Things really went wrong with Katrina.

It shows that New Orleans was not prepared. Katrina also hit Florida, Alabama, and flattened most of the Mississippi coastline. Yet, did Jeb Bush get unpopular? No. Will Haley Barbour lose re-election like Blanco? No. Bob Riley hated due to Katrina? No. It's all New Orleans. Black people hate George W. Bush...but you give them a REASON to hate Bush, you have a big unpopular bubble on your hands.

Four major hurricanes hit Florida in the course of six weeks in August/September 2004...yet Bush won the state. If Katrina would have hit a year eariler, Bush would have lost re-election, because New Orleans was hit. Did you see them looting in Cayo Costa, FL or Punta Gorda, FL where Charley hit on 8/13/04 as the strongest Hurricane in the US since 1992's Andrew? NO. Did they loot in Marin and St. Lucie counties after Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne passed through? NO. How about in Gulf Shores, AL and Pensacola, FL? Did they loot after Ivan wrecked the area on September 16, 2004? NO.

But Bush goes on international television 24 hrs before landfall and declares, "Katrina is a Category Five hurricane...leave the region" and 50, 000 people stay?

I was ON AIR on IPR ( http://www.ipr365.com ) and tracked Katrina from when she was a seedling

August 25, 2005: Naso on how Katrina may turn west towards the Gulf Coast
http://tropicalroundtable.com/MAIN/Audio/Mike%20Naso-I%20think%20the%20forecast%20track%20will%20shift%20west.mp3

August 25, 2005 Zack on Katrina's impact
http://tropicalroundtable.com/MAIN/Audio/Zack%20Fradella-Katrina%20is%20huge%20and%20nearing%20FL%20Coast.mp3

August 25, 2005 My thoughts on Katrina's future destruction
http://tropicalroundtable.com/MAIN/Audio/Mike%20Naso-Radar%20improving%20personal%20thoughts%20on%20track.mp3

August 25, 2005 Zack Fradella - Possible Doomsday Katrina Scenarios ...including what occured
http://tropicalroundtable.com/MAIN/Audio/Zack%20Fradella-Possible%20Scenarios.mp3

August 25, 2005 Mike Naso - If Katrina has structure in the Gulf...look out
http://tropicalroundtable.com/MAIN/Audio/Mike%20Naso-If%20it%20has%20structure%20in%20GOM,%20Watch%20Out.mp3

August 28, 2005 Mike Naso - No doubt it will be a major disaster for New Orleans
http://tropicalroundtable.com/MAIN/Audio/Mike%20Naso-No%20doubt%20monsterous%20disaster%20for%20NO.mp3

It goes on and on. If I knew the impact Katrina would have from Day 1, people in New Orleans should have known.

[bullmoose88]

In 1953, Truman left office with an extremely low approval rating and was called a terrible President for his handling of the Korean War. Now, 50 years later, we look back on him as one of the greats.

Unfortunately.

I hope this country doesn't make the same mistake and declares W as one of its greatest in 50 years.

[Democratic Hawk]

I'll reserve judgement on whether it is or it isn't for the time being

Dave

[MODU]

In 1953, Truman left office with an extremely low approval rating and was called a terrible President for his handling of the Korean War. Now, 50 years later, we look back on him as one of the greats.

Unfortunately.

I hope this country doesn't make the same mistake and declares W as one of its greatest in 50 years.

Like I've said in the past, in-term popularity polls are worthless.  You cannot gauge the impact of a presidency until a few years after they are out of office, when their policies have trickled through the system.  For example, in 5-10 years, the Middle East could either be burning or a region of peace.  We can't gauge that at this point in time.  When Carter had Israel and Palestine shaking hands, you could either declare it a monumental success at peace, or waited to see how things panned out (as we have) to realize it was far from what was being touted at the time.  People are so wrapped up in instantaneous results that they lack the patience needed to see things through completion.

[David S]

I would just say its been very disappointing because of the war, increased spending on Medicare RX drugs and huge budget deficits.

[MaC]

yes, but you have to take into account that Congress f---ed up also.