Comparing Bush

[Democratic Hawk]

I'm not bothered as long as he ain't compared to Churchill

But I'd say somewhere between mixed and poor. I'm in a good mood so I voted mixed

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Come on admit it! Who voted Bush a Living God/Saint/The Second Coming?

Dave

[ATFFL]

Come on admit it! Who voted Bush a Living God/Saint/The Second Coming?

Dave

That would be me.  It is too early to make any serious judgement about him in comparison to previous presidents since we have yet to see the consequences of his policies, so I voted the stupid option that no one had selected yet.

[Democratic Hawk]

Come on admit it! Who voted Bush a Living God/Saint/The Second Coming?

Dave

That would be me.  It is too early to make any serious judgement about him in comparison to previous presidents since we have yet to see the consequences of his policies, so I voted the stupid option that no one had selected yet.

I was just wondering

I was going to wait a while before I passed judgement - but I thought why not? You never know perhaps he may just end up worthy of the mixed rating I so complimentarily bestowed upon him

Dave

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Does anyone honestly believe that any liberal historians in the future will call him a good president?

Of course not. The left will always hate Bush. Being liked by the left is impossible for him

[A18]

The left will always hate Reagan, but that doesn't really damage his legacy much. Likewise, the right will always hate FDR.

[Cashcow]

The left will always hate Reagan, but that doesn't really damage his legacy much. Likewise, the right will always hate FDR.

The extreme right

BRTD, wouldn't you say the left hated Truman for his pro-war policies? Look at his reputation today! He's considered one of the finest and bravest leaders in world history.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

no, the left didn't hate him, it was the right which was mostly isolationist that was anti-war back then.

[A18]

The left will always hate Reagan, but that doesn't really damage his legacy much. Likewise, the right will always hate FDR.

The extreme right

How is it the extreme right? I don't know any Republicans that like the New Deal.

[Cashcow]

The left will always hate Reagan, but that doesn't really damage his legacy much. Likewise, the right will always hate FDR.

The extreme right

How is it the extreme right? I don't know any Republicans that like the New Deal.

Oh please -- there's so much more to FDR than that. The problem is that some of you only look at economics and fail to see what an inspiring war leader FDR was at the time. Dazzleman, for example, can see through this.

[Jake]

I also think highly of FDR. Top five Presidents at least, maybe top three with Reagan and Jefferson.

[Rob]

no, the left didn't hate him, it was the right which was mostly isolationist that was anti-war back then.

That had changed by 1944, when Dewey ran against FDR from the right on national security. GOP isolationism vanished once and for all in 1952, when the internationalist Eisenhower defeated the isolationist Taft for the Republican nomination.

After that, the old-school isolationist Midwestern conservatism was supplanted by militantly hawkish Sunbelt conservatism.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Except not all Republicans were conservative back then, just as not all Democrats were liberal. Neither Eisenhower or Dewey were conservatives.

[Rob]

Except not all Republicans were conservative back then, just as not all Democrats were liberal. Neither Eisenhower or Dewey were conservatives.

Eisenhower was. Dewey was wishy-washy and held no strong beliefs.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Eisenhower kept the New Deal level tax rates in place and forcibly desegregated Arkansa schools. And of course this famous quote:

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Can you imagine a conservative today saying that?

[??????????]

Eisenhower kept the New Deal level tax rates in place and forcibly desegregated Arkansa schools. And of course this famous quote:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Can you imagine a conservative today saying that?

Actually, Eisenhower was against desegregation (he wanted to keep it like it was), and he regretting appointing Earl Warren to the SCOTUS.  He said his decision to appoint Earl Warren was the worst move he ever made while president.

[Palefire]

Eisenhower kept the New Deal level tax rates in place and forcibly desegregated Arkansa schools. And of course this famous quote:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Can you imagine a conservative today saying that?

Yes, but not one that is a part of GOP leadership in the House or Senate.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Eisenhower kept the New Deal level tax rates in place and forcibly desegregated Arkansa schools. And of course this famous quote:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Can you imagine a conservative today saying that?

Actually, Eisenhower was against desegregation (he wanted to keep it like it was)

then why did he send federal troops to Little Rock to force desegregation?

[??????????]

Eisenhower kept the New Deal level tax rates in place and forcibly desegregated Arkansa schools. And of course this famous quote:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Can you imagine a conservative today saying that?

Actually, Eisenhower was against desegregation (he wanted to keep it like it was)

then why did he send federal troops to Little Rock to force desegregation?

Because the state decided to overstep its bounds (of course I disagree with that but whatever). In actuality Eisenhower was for keeping the status quo.

[Hitchabrut]

Between 3 and 4

[George W. Bush]

now he is in the middle, but at the end of his term he could either fall in the ranks of Reagan or Grant.

[Cashcow]

now he is in the middle, but at the end of his term he could either fall in the ranks of Reagan or Grant.

It's interesting to hear you say that, being his namesake and all.

I read your posts quite often. I think you are very open-minded.

[George W. Bush]

now he is in the middle, but at the end of his term he could either fall in the ranks of Reagan or Grant.

It's interesting to hear you say that, being his namesake and all.

I read your posts quite often. I think you are very open-minded.

Thanks

[dazzleman]

Eisenhower kept the New Deal level tax rates in place and forcibly desegregated Arkansa schools. And of course this famous quote:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Can you imagine a conservative today saying that?

Actually, Eisenhower was against desegregation (he wanted to keep it like it was)

then why did he send federal troops to Little Rock to force desegregation?

Because the state decided to overstep its bounds (of course I disagree with that but whatever). In actuality Eisenhower was for keeping the status quo.

I think you're right.

Eisenhower had tortured and conflicted views on segregation.  He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't bring himself to oppose it.  His conflict was reflected in his highly ambivalent policies toward civil rights.

Prior to the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, Eisenhower invited some southerners to meet with Earl Warren under his auspices.  He said to Warren, "these are not bad people; they just don't want their sweet little daughters to have to sit next to some big black buck."

Eisenhower believed in the constitution, and did his duty in enforcing the law, but little more.  He provided no leadership on the issue.  He did push through congress a weak civil rights bill in 1957 and again in 1960, but these did little to address the real issues.

I sometimes think that the racial situation might have turned out a lot better if Eisenhower had gotten the situation moving more in the 1950s instead of deferring it to his successors.  By the 1960s, blacks as well as their white supporters were more disillusioned and radicalized, and the whole integration enterprise ended up going off on a very bad track, which ended up making the situation worse in some cases, and it remains frozen to this day.  Maybe this would have been partially avoided if we'd had stronger leadership from Eisenhower in the 1950s.

[angus]

A poor president like Grant. Why the Republicans adore him, I'll never know.

speaking of grant (yeah he was a drunk and a poor president, but he also crushed the democrats in a rebellion which, if successful, would have caused the country to fall apart and revert to being a European Imperial playground.  thus the adoration.  satisfied?)  speaking of grant, I live about 6 blocks from Grant's tomb.  I finally made it over there yesterday with a camera.  Had to wait about 20 minutes for the lousy tourists to leave so I could get a tourist-free shot of the place.  Man, it's enormous.  You could probably feed and house most of the homeless in the city on what it cost to build that thing.  Anyway, the answer to the burning question "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?"  I can report that The General and Mrs. U. S. Grant are buried in Grant's Tomb. 
 
The more you know...[/i]