Early Retirement & Financial Independence Community - View Single Post - The Bush Presidency: The Historians (Start to) Weigh In

Wags · 06-09-2008, 12:35 PM

Washington Post - Citing History, Bush Suggests His Policies Will One Day Be Vindicated

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

Excerpts from the article

White House aides say Bush, who majored in history at Yale, likes to emphasize historical comparisons because they are easy for the public to understand and illustrate in dramatic fashion how differently future generations may come to view him.

Unfortunately for the president, many historians have already reached a conclusion. In an informal survey of scholars this spring, just two out of 109 historians said Bush would be judged a success; a majority deemed him the "worst president ever."

"It's all he has left," said Millsaps College history professor Robert S. McElvaine, who conducted the survey for the History News Network of George Mason University. "When your approval ratings are down around 20 to 28 percent and the candidate of your own party is trying to hide from being seen with you, history is your only hope."

Princeton University historian Sean Wilentz, who wrote a widely cited Rolling Stone essay about Bush in 2006 titled "The Worst President in History?," said last week that the president's historical arguments can be effective because they are difficult to disprove. "By just saying, 'In the long run this is going to look great,' it makes it very hard to respond to," he said.

White House officials dispute any link between Bush's recent emphasis on history and his disapproval rating, which is now the highest of any president since Gallup began asking the question in the 1930s. Current and former aides note that Bush is a longtime history buff who, in the middle of his presidency, met regularly with historians and other intellectuals to discuss predecessors including Washington and Nixon.

End of excerpts.

It's a good thing that Mr. Bush has such a high opinion of his actions because it appears that neither the public or the historians agree with him on much.

With disapproval ratings at about 20 to 28 percent the only wants left in Mr. Bush's corner are Dick, the Twins, Hannity, O'Reilly, and Laura.

God Bless Us All

06-09-2008, 12:35 PM	#63
Wags Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 961	Washington Post - *Citing History, Bush Suggests His Policies Will One Day Be Vindicated* washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines Excerpts from the article White House aides say Bush, who majored in history at Yale, likes to emphasize historical comparisons because they are easy for the public to understand and illustrate in dramatic fashion how differently future generations may come to view him. Unfortunately for the president, many historians have already reached a conclusion. In an informal survey of scholars this spring, just two out of 109 historians said Bush would be judged a success; a majority deemed him the "worst president ever." "It's all he has left," said Millsaps College history professor Robert S. McElvaine, who conducted the survey for the History News Network of George Mason University. "When your approval ratings are down around 20 to 28 percent and the candidate of your own party is trying to hide from being seen with you, history is your only hope." Princeton University historian Sean Wilentz, who wrote a widely cited Rolling Stone essay about Bush in 2006 titled "The Worst President in History?," said last week that the president's historical arguments can be effective because they are difficult to disprove. "By just saying, 'In the long run this is going to look great,' it makes it very hard to respond to," he said. White House officials dispute any link between Bush's recent emphasis on history and his disapproval rating, which is now the highest of any president since Gallup began asking the question in the 1930s. Current and former aides note that Bush is a longtime history buff who, in the middle of his presidency, met regularly with historians and other intellectuals to discuss predecessors including Washington and Nixon. End of excerpts. It's a good thing that Mr. Bush has such a high opinion of his actions because it appears that neither the public or the historians agree with him on much. With disapproval ratings at about 20 to 28 percent the only wants left in Mr. Bush's corner are Dick, the Twins, Hannity, O'Reilly, and Laura. God Bless Us All __________________ *War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow. -* *Martin Luther King Jr.* Seek peace, and pursue it. - Psalms 34:14 Be kind to unkind people - they need it the most - by Ashleigh Brilliant.