The similarities and differences of Teddy Roosevelt and George W. Bush
Like Teddy Roosevelt, President Bush believes
that
war is noble when the cause is noble. They both believed in a moral war, and whether they both used moral disguises to cover up shallow reasons (Spanish-American War, and Iraq War), they still got support from the public from the moral reasons. Both of them had ambitious goals such as the shared goal of spreading democracy. Both of them are willful and determined to the point of stubbornness. However, the differences may be even greater than the similarities. President Bush would love to be like Roosevelt in the sense of being an active president. TR was a war hero and led with the “rough-riders.” Bush in many ways wants to be like that, when he visits military bases, dresses like a pilot, and makes “mission accomplished” speeches from atop an aircraft carrier he is impersonating his idol Teddy Roosevelt. But Bush wouldn’t actually fight and he isn’t as active as he pretends to be. Bush leads from a desk and takes many vacations, something TR would disapprove of. Also, President Bush does not have the same caliber of strength as Roosevelt. Bush hasn’t had many challenges in his life to face (unless you count low approval ratings and a failing war he created). President Bush could and would never accomplish something magnificent. TR left the country the Panama Canal and launched the U.S. into becoming a world power. President Bush will leave the country with a huge deficit, world-wide hatred of America, and a collapsed Middle East. If there is an accomplishment that comes from Bush’s eight years, it might be something done about illegal immigration. However that does not compare with the Panama Canal.