AT ISSUE: In two months, President George W. Bush will be leaving the White House and his position as president. It has been an eventful eight years full of wars, two economic crises and much more. What will be Bush’s legacy?
Joshua Delano
I don’t think there is anything left of President George W. Bush’s administration to be labeled as a legacy. If there is anything that he could do in the next several weeks, it would be to help resolve the financial situation. However, I think it’s pretty pointless at this juncture, since he has dug this country into such a deep hole it would be extremely hard for him to redeem himself.
He would likely prefer to think post-9/11 security policies are his legacy, if any positives can be brought from that. Honestly, 9/11 was his answer for everything for the next several years after it happened. More than anything else Bush will be saddled with the legacy and the blame for the Iraq War, with all its mishaps and lack of planning.
It would be nice to see if Bush uses his pardons in the last days for people who are well deserving, not just political cronies or those who have been involved in or taken part in torture. In all hope, Bush will pardon 81-year-old former Louisiana Gov. Edwin W. Edwards.
I doubt the press will get in too much of a rush doing a Sunday special segment on the legacy of Bush. In contrast, I am sure we will see something witty and poignant about the great Bush legacy on The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. They can’t pass up doing a Bush legacy special.
Delano, a political science and history senior, can be reached via [email protected]
Shai Mohammed
President George W. Bush’s legacy will be to inform those who come after him of the dangers of deregulation in times of expansion, a lack of checks in the system and of gathering "yes-men" in lieu of a cabinet.
His tanking of the Kyoto Protocol, secession from the International Criminal Court and the lack of action in U.N. initiatives have shown the world the harm that occurs when there is schism between the power to create change and the isolationist use of that power.
The latest economic debacle is not entirely Bush’s fault. Broad deregulation policies started under President Ronald Reagan and shepherded by President George H. W. Bush and President Bill Clinton did far greater damage than anything he himself has done – with the possible exception of the Iraq War. It is only by the grace of Congressional obstruction that we haven’t had Social Security tank along with the markets.
From original snafus in the 2000 election ballot counting to mounting international tensions that had their roots in the Bush Sr. CIA tenure, the domestic and foreign agenda has been under Bush influence for some time.
Given Reagan’s senility, one could competently argue three-and-a-half terms of the Bush oligarchy have been more than enough.
Mohammed, an anthropology freshman, can be reached via [email protected]
Alana MousaviDin
President George Bush’s main legacy will be that of an ineffective speaker. He hems and haws through every speech. He has no clue what it means to be clear and concise when speaking to the nation, especially as the nation’s leader.
The Texas twang is something we can all get over, but the way he stammers has been talked about worldwide.
The president has proven time and time again that during his presidential addresses to the nation, our time spent watching could be cut in half should he employ conciseness when delivering them. A long-winded presidential speech that is well planned and has clarity is easier to listen to than one that sounds like the speaker is ill-prepared.
The word on the street is President Bush is an idiot – stigma few would be proud to carry. Last week, he admitted to mistakes he made while in office. This simply proves he’s human. Throughout the eight years he has been in office he has, on one hand, proven his idiocy, and on the other shown that he can be sympathetic and stoic in hard times. In four (or eight) years, the Daily Cougar will ask the same forum question of President-elect Barack Obama. Let’s just hope his eloquent speaking abilities will carry him through in the public eye better than President Bush’s.
MousaviDin, a communication junior, can be reached via [email protected]
