Fred Barnes, noted conservative, just published an article entitled, Bush's Achievements: Ten things the president got right
With all due respect to Mr. Barnes, I don't really agree with his ten things. But Mr. Barnes is a conservative, and I'm not. Below the fold, I'll present my own Five things the president got right (or at least that he didn't mangle up that bad).
It is difficult to come up with even five liberal things that President Bush did right; but in the interest of being fair, here they are.
Finally, note that I'm giving Bush the benefit of the doubt here. If these five things constitute his entire legacy, he will go down as one of the worst presidents in history.
- He didn't fall off the wagon. As anyone who has struggled with alcohol and drugs knows, staying clean and sober is an extraordinary achievement. By all accounts, president Bush has stayed clean and sober through his administration. I'm sure it was tempting, at times, to down a cold strong one and forget about Katrina, his poll numbers, or his lack of significant domestic achievements. But he did stay sober, and for that I give him kudos.
- He stayed well rested. I do not mean to mock President Bush with this point. It is tough work being President. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders. You age twice as fast as normal people. Yet, despite all of this Bush sets a record for being well rested. All things being considered, this is a great achievement.
- Colin Powell as Secretary of State. I might be biased, but I thing the appointment of Colin Powell was inspired. Colin Powell has seen war and believes in peace. He's African-American in a lilywhite administration. He was courageous in a cowardly administration. In fact, Colin Powell was such a great choice and so based in the reality-based community, that he endorsedBarack Obama in 2008.
- He ushered in a permanent Democratic majority. President Bush managed to accomplish something no Democrat has been able to do for decades. His stellar ratingshave led to one of the biggest political fortune reversals in recent American history and immediately stopped the country's conservative trend in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Yep, the next few decades are Democratic decades--and for that, president Bush, you get a very sincere thank you.
- The utter lack of legislation from 2000-2008 Conservatives would view this prong with dismay. But remember, we're a progressive website. While completely skipping over that whole legislative branch, Bush didn't do harm to the country that he could have done if he remembered that there was a third branch of government. He could have pushed the entire conservative agenda in fact. But nope. No noteworthy legislation whatsoever. As a result, this lack of accomplishment, from a progressive perspective, can be seen as a huge net positive benefit for America. So thanks, president Bush, for not getting too much done. Your country really appreciates it.