Comments on: Is George W. Bush One of Our Ten Greatest Presidents?

By: Matthew Dickinson

Matthew Dickinson — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:42:06 +0000

Johnny,

If by mortally wound you are suggesting that Bush caused the economic recession, and that Obama has had to cope with the aftermath, I think only part of that statement is true. As you’ll discover if you follow my posts, I’m highly skeptical that Presidents can influence the economy – either for better or for worse – to any great degree. That’s why I’m not very sympathetic to the current media effort to pin the most recent dismal economic numbers (three months of decreasing job growth, a revised GDP that last quarter was below 2) on Obama. The plain fact is that President’s have at best a marginal influence on the nation’s economic performance.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:27:20 +0000

Mr. Dickinson: I'm not following your logic on the argument regarding Bush's culpability for the recession. You seem to be saying: If you mortally wound someone and I prove unable to save their life, that you are somehow less responsible.

By: Marty Lapidus

Marty Lapidus — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:51:55 +0000

superficial poll = superficial results = few comments

By: Matthew Dickinson

Matthew Dickinson — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:08:37 +0000

Bob – You are correct, of course. In highlighting the importance of Iraq and the War on Terror more broadly, I did not mean to dismiss the role that the Great Recession will play when scholars sit down to evaluate his presidency. I do think that because of the perception (if not the reality) that the Obama administration hasn’t (as yet) been able to turn this economy around (at least on the job front, and keeping in mind the argument that it may have prevented things from getting worse), Bush will perhaps suffer less blame for the recession than might otherwise have been the case.

The analogy I often used with my students is FDR – circa 1940. If he had stepped down then, he would be remembered as the President who failed to end the Great Depression. And what would that do to Hoover’s reputation?

By: Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:40:13 +0000

I think any assessment of Bush’s presidency would also turn on his record in the economic realm, especially taxes and regulation, as well as energy and environmental issues. The Great Recession happened at the end of his watch; what was his role and responsibility?