I thought Bush just used the Texas governor office as a step stone to become President.

As governor he primarily campaigned for president. He did little to bring business/jobs to the state.

His campaign to defeat Ann Richards was a tough on crime message that greatly exaggerated the violent crime rate and the governor had little authority to address.

Since Texas governor has little authority, it is an excellent office from which to run for president. You get security paid by the state, plenty of free time, and nationally "the governor of Texas" is an impressive title.

Bush/Cheney were just in it to feel the power and were not very impressive.

As for 9/11, we were lucky to have Bush over Al Gore. I cannot imagine how Gore would have handled that situation.

Bush had the best opportunity to unite the Western countries since WW II. With Iraq most gave him the benefit of the doubt until the entire WMW story was shown to be a fraud. Then he quickly won the military war but had no plan for building a working government in Iraq once the military completed its superb job. The vacuum allowed a decade of terrorism to continue.

GWB is a puppet and always has been

Flavius Agximus said:

---

All of what everyone above said, plus electric deregulation and decoupling as Texas governor, which has been an unmitigated disaster.

---

Is the concept of deregulation / decoupling a disaster, or was it execution over the last 25 years?

He's a beltway Republican. Bailouts. Foreign wars. Open borders. Abandoning the social war when it gets tough. Then, he forgot all the people who defended and fought for him when it was his turn to.fight for them. I really regret not pushing back on his Iraq war and buying hook line and sinker into WMD's.

He 'abandoned free market principles to "save" the free market'. I was a senior in college when he made that statement. He lost me then.

The too big to fail mantra has crippled our economy. The big boys know that if they pass a little cash to the politicians, they can basically gamble with the US economy and never have to pay the house.

I have a very good high school friend that works in his library. She assures me that he is a hood and honorable man, and I would probably go fishing with him in Crawford, but he was not a good president

zb008 said:

---

William K. Klingaman said:

---

zb008 said:

---

zoneag said:

---

zb008 said:

---

GWB seems to not have many fans on this board. I don't understand this since he's been a conservative his whole political career, was a good Governor here in Texas, and put conservative justices on the Supreme Court while he was President. He also led the nation through 9/11 in a calm, controlled manner. I know some people don't like his recent voting tendencies in elections, but to be fair, the Republicans are vastly different from what they were when he was President. I think he gets a lot of unjustified criticism, especially when his whole body of work is considered.

---

He gave us some reassuring moments immediately after 9/11. Then he promptly used 9/11 as justification to implement the liberty trampling surveillance state we live in today. Then he used 9/11 as justification to launch an unprovoked war against Iraq, which was very poorly executed and cost too many lives. He also expanded Medicare, and was pushing an immigration bill that would have granted mass amnesty. He was a big spending neocon. Not much to like for conservatives actually.

---

He wasn't perfect in his response, but one thing he definitely did was unify the country in a way that most would have struggled to do in such a horrifying time. He led by example and showed that America wasn't going to be intimidated by terrorists. He will always have my respect for that.

---

Dude, anyone with half a brain could "unify" the country after 9-11. Sadly within a couple of months the left was back to being themselves. We never actually unified, that is a false premise.

---

I would have been terrified to see how Trump would have responded to 9/11 had he been President then. He definitely wouldn't have put forth an effective unifying message like Bush did. Bush was able to unite a very polarized country (Bush v. Gore had just happened) behind one common goal to retaliate against the enemy and give America an image of strength. COVID was the one time that Trump was tested to anywhere near the extent that Bush was with 9/11, and he botched it by letting Fauci lock us all down. Not to mention he also spewed childish rhetoric during that time that further divided the country. It's not as easy to unite a country behind one common goal as you think it is.

---

You think Harris/Walz is a preferable alternative?

Aggie4Life02 said:

---

Medicare Part D. Iraq War 2. TARP. Patriot Act.

---

I'm mostly a policy guy, so these are my major complaints.

I think he gets more vitriol on here than he deserves. Anyone left of Pinochet is going to get some amount of criticism here.

But, he was no Ronald Reagan. He was worse than his dad.

As for playing nice with the left side of the aisle, I tend to give the older guard more leash than more recent politicians. We actually used to have civil discourse and some compromise in government. Bill Clinton didn't wash away all of the welfare reforms that GHWB started, and that is one of the reasons Bill ran a balanced budget (that, and, of course, the dot.com boom). Playing nice is old fashioned. It's kind of like letting small racial comments slide from WW2 vets who mean well but are just ignorant (Love, love Gran Turino on this topic).

But, Reagan was before both of those guys, and he did government a lot better. Trump is the best president since Reagan, when it comes to geopolitics and domestic policy.

But, even Reagan wasn't all stars. The S&L crash, D.A.R.E., and Iran-Contra to name a few. But these things are all pretty trivial when stacked up against successes like the economic revival, destroying communism, and getting the population to be patriotic again (compared to the 1970's which was filled with dirty long-haired hippies [I kid, I kid]).

zb008 said:

---

GWB seems to not have many fans on this board. I don't understand this since he's been a conservative
no he was not
his whole political career, was a good Governor here in Texas
a so so gov nothing special,
and put conservative justices on the Supreme Court
lol no
while he was President. He also led the nation through 9/11 in a calm, controlled manner.
Don't think he did a good job. Probably should have stayed out of Iraq.
I know some people don't like his recent voting tendencies in elections,
Ya think?!?he and his family are the true chameleons
but to be fair, the Republicans are vastly different from what they were when he was President.
Ackchyually, the Bush family is from the liberal side of the GOP. Maybe you are too green to know.
I think he gets a lot of unjustified criticism, especially when his whole body of work is considered.
LOL. Hello Jeb or Laura.

---

You have made another post that is suspect. I don't know if your intent is to troll or continue with your body of work that is borderline ackchyually.

zb008 said:

---

GWB seems to not have many fans on this board. I don't understand this since he's been a conservative his whole political career, was a good Governor here in Texas, and put conservative justices on the Supreme Court while he was President. He also led the nation through 9/11 in a calm, controlled manner. I know some people don't like his recent voting tendencies in elections, but to be fair, the Republicans are vastly different from what they were when he was President. I think he gets a lot of unjustified criticism, especially when his whole body of work is considered.

---

Haven't read this thread and probably won't, but both Bush's are/were good men.

To me, neither one was cognizant of the massive plan to undermine the freedom and liberty of the greatest country on earth. Cloward-Piven and Alinsky's rules for radicals was already under way by the time '41 was elected. I could see a lot of the actions we've seen implemented, but never really caught on until 2015 or 2016.

I also didn't realize we've become an oligarchy until probably six years ago. Since 1970, we've expanded government with OSHA, the DOE (both energy and education), Homeland Security, and the biggest drain on the federal budget, Obamacare. All five agencies probably incur about $3 trillion of our budget, along with the $1 trillion in interest on our debt.

I honestly don't believe either man saw it, or was aware of it. I do believe both were told multiple times by those much wiser than me, but like FDR never saw the evil of Joe Stalin, which allowed communism to enslave several hundred million innocent people and murder approximately 30 to 40 million, neither Bush was able to see the whole picture.

Hell, even Trump was never aware of what the machine was doing until he was elected. I guarantee you he knows now.

So no, I don't hate either man. They were/are God fearing and lived their lives well. They just never knew the lengths humans will go to obtain power at the expense of the benighted citizens. Mores the pity, because both could have lead us better.

Trump is not a conservative. Never was, never will be. He's a populist and an opportunist.

In hindsight, GWB knew how to play well with others - something don and his MAGA extremists haven't yet figured out is key to winning.

Rocky Rider said:

---

"…and put conservative justices on the Supreme Court while he was President. "

John Roberts?

---

And Senators Croneyin and the dudette from Utah!
Romney

Trump tried to compromise his first two years, but Nancy said that she wouldn't allow anything to pass that might give Trump a win.

The democrats even supported a border wall until Trump requested the wall to be funded.

The democrats strategy was go go against everything that Trump supported, even if it was something they supported a year earlier.

Talk to Nancy and her democrat puppets about paying nice with others.

Funny how even recent history gets buried and forgotten by liberals.

valvemonkey91 said:

---

Comes from a family of globalist asshats. His Patriot Act is the cornerstone of the unbridled domestic spying operations by our intrusive and unconstitutional federal government overlords in the CIA/FBI/DHA/DOJ. They sought to undermine Trump at every turn. Stayed quiet while Obama attacked him for 8yrs but all voted for Biden. **** that entire family.

I wish they would dig up his daddy and send his carcass back to Kennebunkport. It is a stain on my University. His school of government is a factory of those likeminded asshats too.

---

WTF is it with people here and "globalists"?

Give me a good definition of "globalist".

Among many other reasons, when he left office he said he wouldn't criticize Obama like Bush was criticized by his predecessor.

Then when an R got in the White House, he suddenly had all the criticisms.

I just think the Bush family has been compromised by DC elite.

dmart90 said:

---

Trump is not a conservative. Never was, never will be. He's a populist and an opportunist.

---

He's leaps and bounds more conservative than the only other viable option to win the presidency. That's good enough to get my vote come November. Hopefully DeSantis will figure out how to run an effective campaign in the next 4 years.

Trump ain't perfect. But he ain't the disaster Biden has been and Harris/TamponTim will assuredly be.

- sided with Hillary and the leftists
- patriot act
- perpetual war machine supporter

Basically a born and raised swamp rat. Showed his true colors in his treatment of Obama vs Trump. There has never been a more obvious move by a swamp rat to show that they care more about the swamp than the country than the contrast in GWB's treatment of those two

Ag with kids said:

---

WTF is it with people here and "globalists"?

Give me a good definition of "globalist".

---

A politician that wants to send taxpayer money to foreign countries so they can skim it.

I applaud him for his treatment of our wounded soldiers. That said, he's the reason a lot of them suffered those injuries

C@LAg said:

---

Ag with kids said:

---

WTF is it with people here and "globalists"?

Give me a good definition of "globalist".

---

^
check out this globalist denier here

---

I'm a proud member of the Flat Earth Society!!!

GLOBE???

Pshaw...

Funky Winkerbean said:

---

Ag with kids said:

---

WTF is it with people here and "globalists"?

Give me a good definition of "globalist".

---

A politician that wants to send taxpayer money to foreign countries so they can skim it.

---

So...end all foreign aid to everyone and you're cool?

Nothing else?

Bush and their New World Order BS.

DannyDuberstein said:

---

I applaud him for his treatment of our wounded soldiers. That said, he's the reason a lot of them suffered those injuries

---

Dubbya can rot in hell.

I voted for GWB twice. He was and remains a (FAR) better alternative than either of the people the Democrats ran against him.

Regardless of being better than a Democrat, I am deeply disappointed in Bush's failures. He squandered blood and treasure on needless war. If you jump back 20 years on this forum, I was completely convinced that suspicions of WMD justified military action to depose Saddam Hussein. I was wrong.

I concur with almost all the criticism listed above. I was too young and ignorant to realize it at the time but the whole "compassionate conservative" slogan was a trojan horse. There is no adjective you can put in front of conservative as a modifier that makes it better. It's the same as the idiot who claim that social justice, racial justice, or restorative justice is "better" that real 100% pure justice.

"No child left behind" was just liberal crap. The conservative educational agenda would begin with eliminating the Department of Education and federally subsidized school lunches. The Bushes are big government down to their DNA. Fiscal conservatism isn't their tradition.

GHWB was also a disappointment in terms of his willingness to spend and increase taxes though he did have a far better grasp of military objectives than his son. It's still Jersey Street to me.

He was a punching bag for the Left... they constantly hammered his policies and he never fought back, justifying his administration's polices

He always claimed it was beneath the Office of the President to fight back, scrap w/ the opposition.

Damn, it W... we voted you in twice... fight for us... but no, he sat back.

They voted for Hillary and probably Biden. Irredeemable in and of itself. They (at least Jr. and his tribe) haven't said boo while the democrats have destroyed the country for the last 8 years. As far as I'm concerned, what little good they (certainly Jr., debatable for Sr.) may have done in office was and had been completely and irreversibly erased and deemed meaningless to give them or their family name any sort of credit or support; past, present or future.

JOHN
ROBERTS

Putting him in position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is UNFORGIVABLE!

zb008 said:

---

GWB seems to not have many fans on this board. I don't understand this since he's been a conservative his whole political career, was a good Governor here in Texas, and put conservative justices on the Supreme Court while he was President. He also led the nation through 9/11 in a calm, controlled manner. I know some people don't like his recent voting tendencies in elections, but to be fair, the Republicans are vastly different from what they were when he was President. I think he gets a lot of unjustified criticism, especially when his whole body of work is considered.

---

Because, as much as this board likes to say the left is super radical now, the modern right is just as bad.

zb008 said:

---

GWB seems to not have many fans on this board. I don't understand this since he's been a conservative his whole political career, was a good Governor here in Texas, and put conservative justices on the Supreme Court while he was President. He also led the nation through 9/11 in a calm, controlled manner. I know some people don't like his recent voting tendencies in elections, but to be fair, the Republicans are vastly different from what they were when he was President. I think he gets a lot of unjustified criticism, especially when his whole body of work is considered.

---

Not sure if you are serious.

Over the last eight years, how much has the Bush Family collectively and individually spoken out for Trump and/or against the Democrats?

In fact, I am the OP who started threads with titles like "When will the Bush Family Speak Out...." about the excesses of the Biden administration and the radically Left anti-Israel and antisemitic Democrats.

Silence from the Bush family. Every day GWB and his Family are Silent subtracts from his "Body of Work". After eight years of silence, his body of work is headed to zero.

W sure did toss a strike when it counted at Yankee Stadium days after 9/11. That moment and days after 9/11 was the most unified I've ever seen this country. W had like 90% approval.

My only hardcore liberal friend loves to praise McCain, Bush, Cheney and Romney now. I wonder why?

TA-OP said:

---

zb008 said:

---

GWB seems to not have many fans on this board. I don't understand this since he's been a conservative his whole political career, was a good Governor here in Texas, and put conservative justices on the Supreme Court while he was President. He also led the nation through 9/11 in a calm, controlled manner. I know some people don't like his recent voting tendencies in elections, but to be fair, the Republicans are vastly different from what they were when he was President. I think he gets a lot of unjustified criticism, especially when his whole body of work is considered.

---

Because, as much as this board likes to say the left is super radical now, the modern right is just as bad.

---

Not sure if you are serious either. Did the modern right riot in cities across America in 2020. Did the modern right picket Supreme Court Justices houses? Did the modern right riot at College campuses across the country with antisemitic and anti-Israel protests?

Totally laughable, equating mean posts on F16 with rioting across America.