Worst
President Ever
The first Sunday in December, the Washington Post released a million dollar photo in the Editorials section. A close-up of George W. with the caption, ‘What will
history say?’ His look of bewilderment and uncertainty on his face could likely help you formulate an answer. Could he look any more clueless? Many people might say there was a simple answer to that question—the
Worst. With my opinion correlating with many others, I read on, knowing my viewpoint of him would slope ever downwards. But when I read the clearly insightful notion about not stamping a president “the worst” so quickly, I was stopped dead in my tracks. It was a viable argument. There are several names on the ladder of unpopular
presidents. Harding, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon Johnson, and Nixon make up some of these rungs. Where does George W. Bush rate as one of our countries “worst presidents” you ask. Let’s compare the performances of some of our “worst” presidents. Andrew Johnson vetoed the
Civil Rights Bill, and performed poorly during Reconstruction after the Civil
war; but he did force the French, and their puppet regime from Mexico. Warren G. Harding did stop the postwar depression, and slash wartime taxes, but was mired by the scandals surrounding some of his governmental appointed constituents. Lyndon Johnson’s progress of civil rights and Medicare was deeply influential in the reshaping of America. Though on the other hand, his increasing involvement in Vietnam led to one of the most appalling wars in history. Nixon will always be remembered by his two-handed “peace sign” or “victory sign, and the Watergate Scandal. However, he managed to take drastic steps in ending the Vietnam War. These presidents may have had a checkered past, but at least there are some white amongst the black. I can’t say the same for Mr. Bush, who has engaged in a war that will be ranked side by side with Vietnam. Managed to diminish the middle class, as well as make the rich richer and the poor poorer. He’s sent the country into a spiraling decline only rivaled by the Great Depression. His handling of the capture of Osama Bin Laden is more than disappointing. His foreign policy is a failure, at best. His accomplishments are nil. Unless you want to count the influx of illegal immigrants, and the selling off of America piece by piece. But Mr. Bush has made some breakthroughs in history, as being the only president with such a nefarious reputation ever to be re-elected, and have his limo egged during his second inauguration. Bush doesn’t have a checkered past, but a completely black one. In my book, he is the worst president ever. “Lame Duck” is what comes to mind when I think of our Commander-in-Chief. By Billy Hazzard
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