George W. Bush's Presidency - One of the toughest tenures ever?

[footballhenry]

Of course we all have debated Bush and his policies ad nauseum here. I wanted to try to take a different perspective for debate. Especially Bush-hater here, try to abandon your critiques for just a moment. Purely on what kind of hand Bush has been dealt in his 4+ years as president, do you think he has been given one of the toughest presidencies to handle to date? Of course this can be difficult to answer because some of you may conclude that Bush got himself into alot of this mess, but thats irrelavant as well. Purely on merits of how 'tough' its been for the man. For example Carter, while I thought he was a horrible president, was dealt an extremely tough hand (i.e. Oil Shock, Iran takes U.S. hostages, USSR invades Afghanistan, etc.)

Bush: Inherits a recession, September 11th Terrorist attacks, CIA leak, Katrina (among numerous natural disasters), Afghanistan and Iraq Wars (over 2,000 soldiers dead), Iran and North Korea nuclear threats, etc.

Im sure Im missing some, but thats all I can think of right now. Whereas Clinton had a very 'easy' presidency (not much happened honestly, imho, well he did have that Jones thing, and that Lewinksy thing, lol). :2cents:

[flyingtiger1013]

To date? Not even close. Lincoln, FDR, Johnson, Hoover come to mind.

[iheartskins]

To date? Not even close. Lincoln, FDR, Johnson, Hoover come to mind.

Totally agree flying tiger.

Just taking two of your good examples...FDR's America was in far worse economic shape, there was far greater civil unrest under Johnson, not to mention the Vietnam war...

[footballhenry]

Didn't say THE toughest, but rather ONE of the toughest.

[@DCGoldPants]

add Washington, Jefferson and just about every President in our 1st 50 years after the U.S. was born.

I think some of the situations that Henry is mentioning, are created by Bush through his choices. You can't get a pass because of that.

[codeorama]

I think some of the situations that Henry is mentioning, are created by Bush through his choices. You can't get a pass because of that.

That's what I was going to say.

I agree with everyone else as well, there are so many presidents that have had much worse situations.

[Burgold]

I think every generation says its version of "Hell in a handbasket" Every progressive generation is getting worse and every now is the most trying now ever. We live in an amazing time, I think that they had it worse back then because they did not have the communication, transportation, and infrastructure to handle the emergencies we do today. We live in a very resilient time and a time where we can take care of most of our needs if we choose to.

[pez]

Yeah.. Lincoln had it tough... the country was splitting itself apart....

[SkinsD]

Bush: Inherits a recession, September 11th Terrorist attacks, CIA leak, Katrina (among numerous natural disasters), Afghanistan and Iraq Wars (over 2,000 soldiers dead), Iran and North Korea nuclear threats, etc.

How do you inherit a CIA leak? How do you inherit a false war? How do you inherit incompetance in dealing with a natural disaster like Katrina?

Bush inherited a massive surplus which he wasted on unneccesary tax cuts.

I will concede that he has been great in dealing with 9/11 and Afghanistan in addition to Iran and North Korea but almost every problem Bush has had is of his own doing.

[flyingtiger1013]

How do you inherit a CIA leak? How do you inherit a false war? How do you inherit incompetance in dealing with a natural disaster like Katrina?

Bush inherited a massive surplus which he wasted on unneccesary tax cuts.

I will concede that he has been great in dealing with 9/11 and Afghanistan in addition to Iran and North Korea but almost every problem Bush has had is of his own doing.

I don't think he meant that he inherited all of that. As for "unnecessary" tax cuts, you're free to give back what you deem unnessasary, but I'll keep mine.

[SkinsD]

I don't think he meant that he inherited all of that. As for "unnecessary" tax cuts, you're free to give back what you deem unnessasary, but I'll keep mine.

I think I was barely 18 when those cuts came down, I didn't get jack! Maybe that's why I don't care for them, seriously though I thought it was an unwise move on his part then and I think my belief has been justified.

[footballhenry]

Well everyone's entitled to their opinion but the fact that we suffered the single greatest attack in the history of this nation on 9/11 puts his presidency among the toughest to endure. Sometimes I wish people could forget the labels and judge things objectively, at least attempt to.

[@DCGoldPants]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/index2.html

I think you should click on each President in order....and read what they had to deal with during their terms. It might help you see things in perspective like a few of us have been mentioning.

[Burgold]

What you have to ask yourself Henry is was the single incident of 9/11 tougher than the cumulative impact of The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, and all of WWII (FDR)? Was it tougher than being the President during a Civil War and see your country torn in two and having brother versus brother fighting each other? Was it tougher than the polio epidemic or the Prohibition period when Chicago was burning? Was it worse than the war which got us Texas or California and trying to instill law without communication or transportation, modern medicine or electricity. Was it tougher than being the first President and having your soldiers being taken to court for debt to the nation they acrued because they gave up farming to soldier for you so that you would have a nation or trying to get all the states to agree to a constitution and how to split power? Was it tougher than 1812 when the US capitol was burned to a cinder by the British? I know I'm forgetting lots of other big hard moments, but a couple of hurricanes and a single attack on US soil is not the harshest thing this country has gone through. It's not even close. What is different today is that there is a greater level of scapegoating and boohooing than ever before. Mind you, I'm not old enough to remember scapegoating incidents in 1812 or the Depression.

Conservatives should stop whining about how things are tough or how it is the liberals fault or how the Dixie Chicks will singlehandedly undermine and destroy all American cohesion. They need to take responsibility. Is the Government too big? They did it. Is spending out of control? They spent it. The Conservatives have controlled the pursestrings for more than a decade. If intelligence agencies are shorthanded and underfunded, if the intel is bad, if the military is undermanned, guess who voted to make it so. Presidents propose, but congress votes it into reality. Conservatives have the reality they want. THey want big government, ever increasing spending, missed millitary quotas and a military that is undersupplied, they want open borders and lax security on the docks and harbors, and they want no bid contracts that fail to invigorate the economies of communities that have been struck by calamnity. How do I know this. That's how they vote. How do I know that that's what conservative voters want? Because they looked at these behaviors and they voted for the same guys again. Don't whine that it's tough for President Bush. It is a situation almost entirely created and controled by a conservative executive, legislative, and judicial branch and has been that way for most of the last twenty years.

[footballhenry]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/index2.html

I think you should click on each President in order....and read what they had to deal with during their terms. It might help you see things in perspective like a few of us have been mentioning.

Haha, while we can always learn more I know much more than most my age when it comes to presidents and what they've endured. In fact its the single most interesting topic to discuss to me. Of course every president has endured tough times, I mean it seems like you guys can't even admit that Bush has endured a tough presidency. I dont get it.

[footballhenry]

What you have to ask yourself Henry is was the single incident of 9/11 tougher than the cumulative impact of The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, and all of WWII (FDR)? Was it tougher than being the President during a Civil War and see your country torn in two and having brother versus brother fighting each other? Was it tougher than the polio epidemic or the Prohibition period when Chicago was burning? Was it worse than the war which got us Texas or California and trying to instill law without communication or transportation, modern medicine or electricity. Was it tougher than being the first President and having your soldiers being taken to court for debt to the nation they acrued because they gave up farming to soldier for you so that you would have a nation or trying to get all the states to agree to a constitution and how to split power? Was it tougher than 1812 when the US capitol was burned to a cinder by the British? I know I'm forgetting lots of other big hard moments, but a couple of hurricanes and a single attack on US soil is not the harshest thing this country has gone through. It's not even close. What is different today is that there is a greater level of scapegoating and boohooing than ever before. Mind you, I'm not old enough to remember scapegoating incidents in 1812 or the Depression.

Conservatives should stop whining about how things are tough or how it is the liberals fault or how the Dixie Chicks will singlehandedly undermine and destroy all American cohesion. They need to take responsibility. Is the Government too big? They did it. Is spending out of control? They spent it. The Conservatives have controlled the pursestrings for more than a decade. If intelligence agencies are shorthanded and underfunded, if the intel is bad, if the military is undermanned, guess who voted to make it so. Presidents propose, but congress votes it into reality. Conservatives have the reality they want. THey want big government, ever increasing spending, missed millitary quotas and a military that is undersupplied, they want open borders and lax security on the docks and harbors, and they want no bid contracts that fail to invigorate the economies of communities that have been struck by calamnity. How do I know this. That's how they vote. How do I know that that's what conservative voters want? Because they looked at these behaviors and they voted for the same guys again. Don't whine that it's tough for President Bush. It is a situation almost entirely created and controled by a conservative executive, legislative, and judicial branch and has been that way for most of the last twenty years.

Hmm, well again I never said Bush has had the toughest presidency, of course not. Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Hoover, etc. have had tougher times but I still think that he has endured ONE of the toughest. Let me repeat that, ONE. Thats O N E.

[jbooma]

Well everyone's entitled to their opinion but the fact that we suffered the single greatest attack in the history of this nation on 9/11 puts his presidency among the toughest to endure. Sometimes I wish people could forget the labels and judge things objectively, at least attempt to.

Bingo and dealing with the press today and being in a 24/7 evironment is a little bit hard.

The past presidents were in tough times as well, however they were at least protected from everything.

Only one other president had to deal with evacuating and entire city, and that city did not have 400K living there like NO.

[Jizmaglobin]

one of the toughest tenures?yes,on we american citizens.not so much bush himself,he's too incompetent to do too much damage,but the people he has surrounded himself with.9/11,iraq,katrina,the patriot act?god help us all.hopefully our next president will finally be someone who will be looked upon as a man with integrity once he's gone.16 years is long enough to wait for such a seemingly simple request.

[@DCGoldPants]

Haha, while we can always learn more I know much more than most my age when it comes to presidents and what they've endured. In fact its the single most interesting topic to discuss to me. Of course every president has endured tough times, I mean it seems like you guys can't even admit that Bush has endured a tough presidency. I dont get it.

because compared to many many previous leaders. I wouldn't consider this more than slightly on the "tough" side of average.

Again, you asked if its one of the toughest...and I think most of us have said "no". You're comparing them to previous Presidents. Compared to many of the events listed above. With the exception of 1 year. Its been mostly self inflicted.

[jbooma]

because compared to many many previous leaders. I wouldn't consider this more than slightly on the "tough" side of average.

Again, you asked if its one of the toughest...and I think most of us have said "no". You're comparing them to previous Presidents. Compared to many of the events listed above. With the exception of 1 year. Its been mostly self inflicted.

i didn't know that 9-11 and Katrina happened in the same year :doh:

[@DCGoldPants]

you're kidding, right?

people blame Bush for the Federal response, not that a Hurricane HAPPENED.

Just like people praise Bush for the post-9/11 response. But, considering a few interesting Memo's before it happened. I won't say people don't blame him for it happening.

Look, considering how modern we are....how intergrated we are.....how EVERYBODY took hits from 9/11 and Katrina. This wasn't just a Bush thing. This was an America thing. He can't take all the credit, and doesn't deserve all the blame.

Past Presidents had world's where it took days to learn what was happening somewhere else. Where they had to make the smart choices of who they hired for key spots because those people made the final calls when on the other side of the planet.

Saying that its tough because a 24/7 news cycle is Short Bus talk. That President with the 24/7 news cycle can also video conference with Generals around the world, get up to the second information, and hopefully with the better information, make an easier and smarter choice.

[jbooma]

Just like people praise Bush for the post-9/11 response. But, considering a few interesting Memo's before it happened. I won't say people don't blame him for it happening..

Buff the post was about the toughest tenure, 2 of the worst things to ever happen to the US happened during his time, we are not debating anything else here. With those plus a recession and a war that ranks pretty high. The 24/7 thing was talking about how much he is under a microscope, thats it, and no other president execpt Clinton can say the same.

[DjTj]

I can't believe nobody's tried to make a list yet in this thread...

Toughest Presidential tenures:

10. George W. Bush

9. Andrew Jackson

8. Andrew Johnson

7. JFK

6. Wilson

5. LBJ

4. Truman

3. Madison

2. FDR

1. Lincoln

[footballhenry]

Buff the post was about the toughest tenure, 2 of the worst things to ever happen to the US happened during his time, we are not debating anything else here. With those plus a recession and a war that ranks pretty high. The 24/7 thing was talking about how much he is under a microscope, thats it, and no other president execpt Clinton can say the same.

Wow, thanks jbooma. He actually understands the intent and subject of this thread, as opposed to most of the rest of you.

[footballhenry]

I can't believe nobody's tried to make a list yet in this thread...

Toughest Presidential tenures:

10. George W. Bush

9. Andrew Jackson

8. Andrew Johnson

7. JFK

6. Wilson

5. LBJ

4. Truman

3. Madison

2. FDR

1. Lincoln

Thats a fair list. Wasn't the worst president in history (scholarly wise, I read a couple books and they all had him in last) was Andrew Jackson? The president after Lincoln was assasinated...