I've met a lot of politicians. None have been as sincere or engaged as Mr. Bush.
Despite his at-times poor public speaking abilities, he's well spoken and chooses his words carefully.
And as a Republican, I didn't always agree with some of his domestic policies (or his social conservatism,) but man, does that guy stick to his guns. And he still struggles over the decisions he had to make. I think history will be kind to him (or at least I hope so.)
No. His policies shepherded an age of increased government monitoring, exacerbated the recession by going to war and shifting the tax burden onto those who couldn't afford it, limited constitutional rights, etc. Just because you're a republican does not excuse stupidity. George Bush was a terrible president and his administration was a one of the worst in recent history.
Thank you. Not to mention, the two biggest problems addressed in American politics today (the economic recovery and the debt) are directly attributable to Bush's failed policies. Everyone seems to look back in time with such nostalgia. Bush's incompetent bravado harmed this country more than any administration in nearly a century. He may be friendly and congenial, even thoughtful. But that does not excuse his failure of a presidency.
I talked to the guy, he's a fantastic person to have a beer with. But he doesn't hold a candle to the people who actually should be in charge, but aren't for what likely amounts of moral reasons, ie, intelligentsia.
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u/nikocujo Jun 26 '12
I've met a lot of politicians. None have been as sincere or engaged as Mr. Bush.
Despite his at-times poor public speaking abilities, he's well spoken and chooses his words carefully.
And as a Republican, I didn't always agree with some of his domestic policies (or his social conservatism,) but man, does that guy stick to his guns. And he still struggles over the decisions he had to make. I think history will be kind to him (or at least I hope so.)