Obama Is A Peanut Farm Away from Carter

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by DanS


We've had some real doozies. Bush isn't even close to worst.

Nah, but he's probably bottom five. In chronological order: Buchanan, Grant, Harding, Nixon, W. At best, he's vying with Pierce, Andy Johnson, and Hayes for that 5th-worst slot.

[DanS]

I think Bush will be considered a reasonably good president in hindsight. For one, I think we'll win both Iraq and Afghanistan over the long-term. And we've not had another major terrorist attack under his watch. Of course, there's the chance that none of this turns out as I expect, in which case he would be judged more harshly.

[Cyclotron]

So you don't think that the fact 9/11 happened on his watch will in any way affect his legacy? To say that he'll get high marks for not having "another" major terrorist attack seems abjectly stupid.

[DinoDoc]

Given the composition of Obama's base, wouldn't McGovern be a more apt comparison than Carter?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by DanS
I think Bush will be considered a reasonably good president in hindsight. For one, I think we'll win both Iraq and Afghanistan over the long-term. And we've not had another major terrorist attack under his watch. Of course, there's the chance that none of this turns out as I expect, in which case he would be judged more harshly.

Even if you're right, those things will happen on someone else's watch, and that person will get the credit for "turning things around" in both places.

Bush, on the other hand, will get the (deserved) blame for starting the Iraq war needlessly, destabilizing its secular government and paving the way for the Islamist government that will inevitably take its place, delaying success in Afghanistan and against al-Qaeda by diverting resources to the needless war in Iraq, and squandering the good will of the world in general (making the world less safe for American abroad) and straining the patience of the NATO alliance. I really doubt history will be kind, even if everything works out better than expected.

[Ben Kenobi]

Bush, on th other hand, will get the (deserved) blame for starting the Iraq war needlessly, destabilizing its secular government and paving th way for the Islamist government that will inevitably take its place.

Is that before or after they discovered the mass Kurdish graves?

You make Saddam out to be a saint.

[Ben Kenobi]

How would he have delayed the recovery before he was elected President? Did he have supereco powers?

Which is why by 1939, they had just got back to the 1929 par, and unemployment was still huge?

He had 7 years to do it, and it wasn't back on track until the war.

If we can blame Hoover for the depression (which happened everywhere), we certainly shouldn't give Roosevelt his ineffectual means of bringing the US out of the depression.

If you look at the market cycles of previous booms and busts, it never lasted longer then a few years before the recovery got back up to par. Why did it take so long for Roosevelt to recover?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


Is that before or after they discovered the mass Kurdish graves?

You make Saddam out to be a saint.

No, I make Saddam out to be a stable ruler, a convenient enemy of both al-Qaeda and Iran, and a guy who could have been left in power at least until we finished the job in Afghanistan.

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
You make Saddam out to be a saint.

"Secular" = "saint" to you?

[DanS]

Originally posted by Cyclotron
So you don't think that the fact 9/11 happened on his watch will in any way affect his legacy? To say that he'll get high marks for not having "another" major terrorist attack seems abjectly stupid.

No, that's 100% Clinton.

[DanS]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Even if you're right, those things will happen on someone else's watch, and that person will get the credit for "turning things around" in both places.

Iraq has already turned around, so I doubt there will be any credit left. Of course, none of this is very precise, so it's tough to predict. Bush was left with Clinton's recession, after all.

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by DanS
No, that's 100% Clinton.

Right. Well, there goes your credibility.

[DaShi]

Wow! DanS is delusional.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by DanS


Iraq has already turned around, so I doubt there will be any credit left. Of course, none of this is very precise, so it's tough to predict. Bush was left with Clinton's recession, after all.

Bush on Clinton's recession.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush&printer=1

Bush says US not headed into a recession By TERENCE HUNT and JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writers
Thu Feb 28, 6:46 PM ET

President Bush said Thursday the country is not recession-bound and, despite expressing concern about slowing economic growth, rejected for now any additional stimulus efforts. "We acted robustly," he said.

"We'll see the effects of this pro-growth package," Bush told reporters at a White House news conference, acknowledging that some lawmakers already are talking about a second stimulus package. "Why don't we let stimulus package 1, which seemed like a good idea at the time, have a chance to kick in?"

Bush's view of the economy was decidedly rosier than that of many economists, who say the country is nearing recession territory or may already be there. "I'm concerned about the economy," he said. "I don't think we're headed to recession. But no question, we're in a slowdown."

The centerpiece of government efforts to brace the wobbly economy is a package Congress passed and Bush signed last month. It will rush rebates ranging from $300 to $1,200 to millions of people and give tax incentives to businesses.

On one issue particularly worrisome to American consumers, there are indications that paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline is not out of the question once the summer driving season arrives. Asked about that, Bush said "That's interesting. I hadn't heard that. ... I know it's high now."

Bush also telegraphed optimism about the U.S. dollar, which has been declining in value.

"I believe that our economy has got the fundamentals in place for us to ... grow and continue growing, more robustly hopefully than we're growing now," he said. "So we're still for a strong dollar."

Afterward, he expressed confidence in the nation's ability to weather the economic downturn.

"We'll make it through this period just like we made it through other periods of uncertainty during my presidency," Bush said.

Oh crap!

[Cyclotron]

So when a recession happens in Bush's term, it's "Clinton's Recession." When 9/11 happens in Bush's term, the responsibility for failing to prevent it is "100% Clinton" (despite clear evidence to the contrary). It's no wonder DanS thinks that Bush will be looked at positively in hindsight - everything bad that happened is readily explained away as Clinton's problem.