Some people want to make the point that George W. Bush is smart, much smarter than almost anyone else, certainly smarter than "you."
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/04/is-george-w-bush-smart-man.html
The real question though is how smart is the GOP? They've often been referred to as the stupid party. If they decide to go to battle for George W. Bush, they truly aren't too smart.
"This week, George W. Bush dedicates his presidential library and re-enters public life after a long, quiet hiatus.Not that he was missed."
http://prospect.org/article/gop-still-cant-quit-george-w-bush
You can say that again.
"Most Americans have nothing but disdain for the former president. The failures of his administration—including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina, and the 2008 financial crisis—left him with an abysmal approval rating. And as recently as six months ago, a majority of voters viewed him as responsible for the poor economy. If, as suggested by some conservative pundits, America has graded Barack Obama on a curve, it’s almost certainly because he is still dealing with the fallout from eight years of neglect, disinterest, and incompetence."
"With that said, a recentWashington Post poll has Bush with 47 percent approval, giving his supporters a reason to praise the former president. Then again, an equally recent poll from NBC News andThe Wall Street Journal shows Bush with a 35 percent favorability rating—roughly where he was when he left office."
Of course, Presidents are usually popular once out of office. Bush left with an approval rating in the 20s. You expect with the passage of time for it to improve. What's notable is how long it's taken to improve and that he's still at best under 50%.
"My best guess is that his approval lies between the two numbers, and that improvement is the product of his absence from the public stage. Though, as Jonathan Bernstein suggests, it’s not guaranteed. Historians won’t be kind to the invasion of Iraq and the use of torture, and Bush’s standing may fall further as they uncover and publish the details behind both."
Yet Republicans see him favorably:
"The Republican Party, on the other hand, is in an odd place with regards to George W. Bush. Most Republicans—politicians, activists, and ordinary voters—see him as a competent, even admirable, president. According to NBC News, 65 percent of self-identified Republicans and 60 percent of conservatives have a favorable view of the former president. And if pundits like the Post’s Jennifer Rubin are any indication, Bush loyalists have dispensed with the idea that there’s anything to criticize about his administration."
He's not so popular with Republicans, however, that they invited him to the RNC last September:
"The situation is different for elected Republicans. Since Bush is extremely unpopular, they can’t identify with him or his policies, lest they open themselves to further attacks. I’d even say that the last four years of reflexive opposition to Obama is part conscious strategy, and part an attempt to deal with the lack of an agenda distinct from Bush."
My guess is that Bush may remain Kryptonite for quite a while. I notice the other day in hearing his voice again, that right away I felt myself getting angry all over again. It just may not be time.
As for the GOP Boule's right that the real problem is they don't know what was wrong with the Bush Administration-it's not that he did too much spending. As far as ideas go, his were bad ones: regressive tax cuts, jingoistic and hyper-aggressive foreign policy. These are the main ideas still by the GOP. About the only good idea he had was on immiration reform and this has been where they've been slowest to follow though there is reason to hope this has changed now.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/04/today-in-immigration-reform-really-happening.html
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/04/is-george-w-bush-smart-man.html
The real question though is how smart is the GOP? They've often been referred to as the stupid party. If they decide to go to battle for George W. Bush, they truly aren't too smart.
"This week, George W. Bush dedicates his presidential library and re-enters public life after a long, quiet hiatus.Not that he was missed."
http://prospect.org/article/gop-still-cant-quit-george-w-bush
You can say that again.
"Most Americans have nothing but disdain for the former president. The failures of his administration—including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina, and the 2008 financial crisis—left him with an abysmal approval rating. And as recently as six months ago, a majority of voters viewed him as responsible for the poor economy. If, as suggested by some conservative pundits, America has graded Barack Obama on a curve, it’s almost certainly because he is still dealing with the fallout from eight years of neglect, disinterest, and incompetence."
"With that said, a recentWashington Post poll has Bush with 47 percent approval, giving his supporters a reason to praise the former president. Then again, an equally recent poll from NBC News andThe Wall Street Journal shows Bush with a 35 percent favorability rating—roughly where he was when he left office."
Of course, Presidents are usually popular once out of office. Bush left with an approval rating in the 20s. You expect with the passage of time for it to improve. What's notable is how long it's taken to improve and that he's still at best under 50%.
"My best guess is that his approval lies between the two numbers, and that improvement is the product of his absence from the public stage. Though, as Jonathan Bernstein suggests, it’s not guaranteed. Historians won’t be kind to the invasion of Iraq and the use of torture, and Bush’s standing may fall further as they uncover and publish the details behind both."
Yet Republicans see him favorably:
"The Republican Party, on the other hand, is in an odd place with regards to George W. Bush. Most Republicans—politicians, activists, and ordinary voters—see him as a competent, even admirable, president. According to NBC News, 65 percent of self-identified Republicans and 60 percent of conservatives have a favorable view of the former president. And if pundits like the Post’s Jennifer Rubin are any indication, Bush loyalists have dispensed with the idea that there’s anything to criticize about his administration."
He's not so popular with Republicans, however, that they invited him to the RNC last September:
"The situation is different for elected Republicans. Since Bush is extremely unpopular, they can’t identify with him or his policies, lest they open themselves to further attacks. I’d even say that the last four years of reflexive opposition to Obama is part conscious strategy, and part an attempt to deal with the lack of an agenda distinct from Bush."
My guess is that Bush may remain Kryptonite for quite a while. I notice the other day in hearing his voice again, that right away I felt myself getting angry all over again. It just may not be time.
As for the GOP Boule's right that the real problem is they don't know what was wrong with the Bush Administration-it's not that he did too much spending. As far as ideas go, his were bad ones: regressive tax cuts, jingoistic and hyper-aggressive foreign policy. These are the main ideas still by the GOP. About the only good idea he had was on immiration reform and this has been where they've been slowest to follow though there is reason to hope this has changed now.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/04/today-in-immigration-reform-really-happening.html
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