George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)
It may come as a surprise, but George Bush "Sr." wasn't as
conservative as one might think. He took on AIDS funding,
created the Americans with Disabilities Act and also
reauthorized Nixon's Clean Air Act. It was his handling of
the U.S. finances which doomed his presidency. "It's the
economy, stupid" was a saying--however mean--that
summed up that Bush just didn't 'get it'. Bush's command
of the Gulf War was masterful, but at home, he appeared
weak and indecisive. His fateful remark "read my lips: no
new taxes" demonstrated this--and led to his defeat in '92.
Grade: C+ (out of tune with America=out of a job.)
William J. Clinton (1993-2001)
A skilled politician, Bill Clinton's championing of FMLA was
awesome. His attempt at health care reform was noble, as
was passage of the Earned Income Tax Credit. Clinton,
however, made decisions for the U.S. that would ultimately
backfire, such as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and his support of
NAFTA. These moves lacked integrity. While I also fault
Clinton for his improprieties, that I do not fault his
Administration for the scandals and impeachment attempt
(all of which he was exonerated from.) Clinton promoted
peace-building and humanitarian efforts. With the exception
of Middle-Eastern conflicts, the U.S. had a good relationship
with the World and a positive reputation during his term.
Grade: B- (lacked foresight, but weathered many storms.)
George W. Bush (2001-2009)
"Dubya" faced an overwhelming challenge within his first few
months in office: 9/11. And while it is difficult for me to say
this, here goes: I give the guy credit for confronting it, and I
felt better about the situation because he was in office. But
my feelings quickly ended. Leading America on an expensive,
misleading roller coaster ride, Bush was responsible for
dismantling years of diplomatic relationships. His tax cuts
were counter-productive to the economy and did little to
prevent the largest recession since the Great Depression.
His "No Child Left Behind" saw poor results, the federal
response to Hurricane Katrina was immoral and Bush
outright assailed women's rights and those of LGBT citizens.
He left office just as he entered it--with too much national
division, widespread bitterness and unbelievable arrogance.
Grade: D (The U.S. went backwards with this man.)
Barack Obama (2009- )
One of the most liberal presidents following one of the most
conservative, Obama has spent the last two years trying to
move the nation forward while gripping with a poor economy
that he inherited. His hate crime legislation, repeal of "Don't
Ask, Don't Tell" and health care reform initiative demonstrated
Obama's recognition of the disenfranchisement of minorities.
The politicization of his efforts have hurt him, and the GM
bailout was a mistake. I give the President kudos for his
efforts with the Stimulus and Job Creation Bill of '10. The
argument of further cuts and the effectiveness of Obama's
role in this has yet to be seen. The operation to kill Osama
bin Laden challenged Obama's once-questioned foreign-
conflict capabilities. Only time will tell.
Grade: I (Incomplete)
--CONCLUSION--
After all that you have read in this series, it is my hope that
you have noticed one consistent theme: although a few
POTUS' came close, no Commander-in-Chief received an
"F" grade. That is because, at the end of the day, Republican
or Democrat, they have all tried to do what they believed was
right for the country. We can spend years debating what went
well and what went awry. But these forty-plus leaders must
have every critic's acknowledgment that they assumed the
office, enjoyed some triumphs and had more than their share
of trying times. What George W. has in common with the
first George W. is simple: a willingness to serve and the
perseverance of leadership . We should always recognize
that just like our troops, these men--all of them--have
risked their lives and happiness for the American people.
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