Why so poisonous?

[Prospero]

There is a lot of poison on both sides, as each thinks the worst of the other's candidate and assumes the world is going to end if he wins.  This discussion board is a great thing in that people from both sides seem to get along pretty well.

And as far is Bush being a success, only the passage of time will determine that.  But I would guess decades and centuries from now he will be considered a failure.  The errors of his administration will most likely bear fruit after he leaves office, whenever that is either this year or not.

[Prospero]

FDR was a terrible president, Truman was mediocre. JFK had zero accomplishments, so I can't judge him either way.

FDR and Truman were effectively disatrous in their own unique ways.  JFK lowered taxes, made putting a man on the moon a goal, and avoided a war in the Cuban crisis.  So those are three positive things, three more than either FDR and Truman.  Unfortunately, JFK had the Bay of Pigs and got us started in Vietnam.  Had he lived, I doubt things would have been very much different than they did.