It seems like only yesterday that GW Bush became The Texas Rangers' managing partner or was elected and reelected governor of Texas.
Where did the last 20 years go? Specially, where did the last 8 years go?
It's hard to believe that this is my last post about Pres. Bush, the acting president.
Like most presidents, Bush will get an early review, a revision in about 10 years and then his legacy will be firmly established.
After all, Truman retired with 22% approval in 1953. Today, he ranks pretty good!
After all, Lincoln was so unpopular in 1864 that no one thought he'd be reelected!
On the domestic side, Pres. Bush came in after the dot.com stock market crash of April 2000. The US economy was actually going down rapidly as the new president came in.
9-11, the defining moment in Bush's presidency, pushed the US economy even further down.
Bush responded with tax cuts. We got 20-plus consecutive quarters of economic growth. In fact, we had a "growth" period for much of the Bush presidency, until the very end.
Budget deficits? 2-4% of GDP! A deficit but not a problem.
What will we remember about the Bush presidency?
His signature accomplishment was that the US did not get hit again after 9-11.
How important is that?
Go back to the morning after 9-11. How did you feel?
Would you have believed that the US would go 8 years without another attack?
I did not.
Like most others, I was certain that another attack would happen. I was also concerned about the weapons and size of the attack.
Time will pass and Obama will replace Bush on the stage.
During the next four years, Democrats will have to make the tough calls. They will have to fight terrorists, persuade allies to fight in Afghanistan, do business with North Korea, fight Iran's nuclear ambitions, keep an eye on Russia and protect the homeland.
On the domestic side, Democrats will have to deal with awfully difficult problems like Social Security and Medicare.
And let's not forget deficits. Eventually, these will be Obama's deficits!
Bush will start looking good, specially when Obama's supporters come to terms with the reality that Obama did not make any substantial changes.
It won't be long before Obama's supporters complain that they voted for change and got Bush's 3rd term!
Hugh Hewitt has written one of dozen Bush legacy articles. This is my favorite line:
"Bush quickly rallied the country’s confidence at Yankee Stadium, spoke to its sorrows at the National Cathedral and announced its firm resolve to the world in his address to the Congress.
He then directed the takedown of the Taliban and, with it, the support structure and command-and-control capabilities of Al Qaeda, which began the complete overhaul of the national security apparatus of the United States.
Count me among the 30 percent, which will soon be 40 percent — and then more than 50 percent much sooner than most of the chattering class can conceive."
Like other consequential presidents, Bush had to make tough decisions.
He got the big ones right, i.e. protecting the homeland and two wonderful Supreme Court additions that will shape the court for a generation.
P.S. These are a couple of my favorite moments from the Bush presidency.
First, he goes to NY and meets with the workers at "ground zero":
Second, Pres. Bush goes to Yankee Stadium and throws "a perfect strike" before game 3 of the 2001 World Series:
