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Tags Bush controversies , donald trump , George W. Bush , presidential approval , presidential rankings

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Old 21st April 2006, 05:00 PM   #81
CapelDodger
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Originally Posted by Mark View Post
Energy prices soaring out of control, threatening several huge industries (like airlines and agriculture) and Bush does nothing. What else to you need to know about him?
Bushco's world-view has a neo-con, laissez faire to the max, small (ideally no) government component. By that view, government intervention can only make things worse than the free market left to its own devices. This I think of as the Home component.

At the same time Bushco ideology has an interventionist, big government, Away component.

It's a simple scheme if each component is independent. And that appeals to simplistic minds. Of course, they aren't independent and non-linearity does not appeal to simplistic minds. They reject reality and substitute their own. No wonder the result is such a mess.
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Old 21st April 2006, 05:20 PM   #82
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Originally Posted by UserGoogol View Post
For the record, according to Wikipedia which lists the various polls which asked historians to rank presidents, the worst presidents so far are Warren G. Harding, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Jackson and James Bucchanan. Two of which are blamed for leading to the civil war, one for screwing up reconstruction, and one for just having a flagrantly corrupt administration.
I wonder how Bush Minor will rank in 2106? Will the question, by then, be as interesting as "Worst British Prime Minister Ever" is now?

I think in the popular mind, as opposed to the historians', Bush Minor will be notorious as the half-wit who initiated the US's decline. That's how popular history works. Historians will, IMO, regard this Administration as the most egregiously incompetent of this transition period.
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Old 21st April 2006, 06:22 PM   #83
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What a surprise to see my name.

Originally Posted by hgc View Post
Please explain precisely how anyone on the homefront is causing the failure of the U.S. adventure in Iraq. Remember: cause and effect.
Serious?
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Old 21st April 2006, 06:37 PM   #84
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Originally Posted by CapelDodger View Post
Bushco's world-view has a neo-con, laissez faire to the max, small (ideally no) government component. ...
I am not exactly sure in what sense that you meant this. From some perspectives this just seems wrong. This is the administration that created the medicare drug plan. This was a plan to transfer massive amounts of money from taxpayers to drug comapanies and insurance companies for almost no benefit to the country as a whole.

This is also the administration that has overseen a vast runup in the national debt caused largely by a congress run amok with power derived from massive pork spending without the veto of a single bill.

This is also the administration that federalized most of the baggage inspection business after 9-11. This is an administration that early on instituted trade protection for the steel industry. It has also worked to increase the federal control of education.

It was for these reasons that I have wondered why the JREF Bushco defense team still exists. I understand that a lot of the remaining JREF Bushco defense team sees the initiation of the Iraq war as a good thing and they see what looks like corrupt, incompetent management of the Iraqi occupation to many of us as just the way war goes sometimes. But how they can look at what Bushco has created by way of the lobbying excesses and massive increases in federal spending and still continue to defend Bushco is something I just don't get.

I suspect what is left of Bushco believers in the world beyond JREF consist mostly of the anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage crowd. My assumption has been that the JREF Bushco defenders are not with them on those issues or at least they are not principal drivers for them. So what is left? I thought the revival of this thread might illuminate that to some degree. All that has turned up so far is a few ad hominen attacks on the Bush critics.
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Old 21st April 2006, 06:46 PM   #85
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Originally Posted by Grammatron View Post
Have you stopped using oil by-products?
I am afraid I didn't understand this comment Grammatron. Are oil by-products something like asphalt? Stuff left over after all the fuel and other chemicals have been removed. Is bunker oil a by-product? Sorry, I might be on the wrong track here.
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Old 21st April 2006, 08:08 PM   #86
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Originally Posted by drkitten View Post
And at the same time, has been making record-setting profits despite substantial investments in infrastructure destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Normally, when companies suffer devastating losses due to natural disasters, their profits go down, not up.
Looking at Exxonmobil (the record-setter), profit margins have been pretty constant over the last few years (although they were at about half their current rate in the early part of the decade - possible after-effects of the merger in 1999).

Their record profits have instead been driven by massive revenue increases ($60 billion jumps in each of the last two years), driven by I'm not sure what (Here's the link to their financial overview for last year if you want to try to find it: http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/...te/fo_2005.pdf). Of course, one could always accuse them of lying in their financial statements.
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Old 22nd April 2006, 02:39 PM   #87
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Originally Posted by davefoc View Post
I am not exactly sure in what sense that you meant this. From some perspectives this just seems wrong. This is the administration that created the medicare drug plan. This was a plan to transfer massive amounts of money from taxpayers to drug comapanies and insurance companies for almost no benefit to the country as a whole.
I'm thinking in terms of the neocon ideology, the principles rather than the practice. The principle is simple - private good, public bad. In practice there are powerful interests for whom exceptions must be made. There are also electoral considerations, manifested in agricultural subsidies and protectionism.

Quote:
It was for these reasons that I have wondered why the JREF Bushco defense team still exists. I understand that a lot of the remaining JREF Bushco defense team sees the initiation of the Iraq war as a good thing and they see what looks like corrupt, incompetent management of the Iraqi occupation to many of us as just the way war goes sometimes. But how they can look at what Bushco has created by way of the lobbying excesses and massive increases in federal spending and still continue to defend Bushco is something I just don't get.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Decades of dominance by liberal tax-and-spend bleeding-heart economics can't be undone overnight. Priorites have to be determined. The state's role in people's lives must be progressively reduced, starting with poor people because there are so many of them and their needs are urgent.

Heck, I can defend it for them.

Quote:
I suspect what is left of Bushco believers in the world beyond JREF consist mostly of the anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage crowd. My assumption has been that the JREF Bushco defenders are not with them on those issues or at least they are not principal drivers for them. So what is left? I thought the revival of this thread might illuminate that to some degree. All that has turned up so far is a few ad hominen attacks on the Bush critics.
I see signs of flagging in the ranks of the Buscho boosters. But that's entirely subjective.
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Old 23rd April 2006, 03:52 PM   #88
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Originally Posted by davefoc View Post
I am afraid I didn't understand this comment Grammatron. Are oil by-products something like asphalt? Stuff left over after all the fuel and other chemicals have been removed. Is bunker oil a by-product? Sorry, I might be on the wrong track here.
Plastics, medicine, you name it. Petroleum based products are essential to almost every kind of manufacture. In fact it has been said that oil is far to valuable to burn. There are other sources of energy, but no other sources of petrochemicals.

Oh yeah. Asphalt too.
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Old 23rd April 2006, 04:54 PM   #89
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How about a report card format? I know I might come off as one of those liberals that think education is too important, but maybe the gym teacher can give him a better review.

English C Georgie tends to put his foot in his mouth quite a bit, though not as much as some previous students like Danny Quayle. But a lot of that is because people ask him to talk so much and that's not really his strong suit. We all make verbal blunders, but his are magnified. It is a shame he is forced to be captain of the debate club.

Math D- Georgie cannot seem to work with simple figures. His tax cuts don't add up at all. He also has problems understanding the concepts of negative numbers, like deficits.

History C- Georgie has learned that conquerors always strike first. However, he seems to have not learned what happens when conquerors become overextended. Neither has he learned that after invasion, you still have to keep the peace.

Social Studies D- For all his good intentions, every project he has turned in has been a disaster. He has removed freedoms. Has pulled the wheelchair out from under aged people. He has alienated vast segments of his playmates. He has brought about what amounts to class warfare. But since there hasn't (yet) been armed revolt, I can't find it in my heart to fail him.

Foreign Studies D+ Georgie has managed learn a little about how others in the world live their lives, and he has even been able to make friends with a very few foreigners, though mostly by bribing them. Unfortunately, this has come at the expense of beating up other foreign students and completely snubbing others. As a result, most foreigners have turned against him and a few are burning him in effigy. We can only hope that the foreign students realize that this is just one misbehaving American and that most Americans are not like this.

Science F- I am sorry to say that Georgie is openly antagonistic to science. He refuses to listen to any teachers. He has deliberately sabotaged the greenhouse. He has stolen the supplies from our medical staff such that they can't do their work properly. Worst of all, he has done it for money.

Phys Ed A+ Georgie rides his bike to school every day and has even made sure that the bike paths around his home are clear of protesters. Barring unforeseen encounters with some of his many enemies, he will probably live to a hundred, (with a little help from renegade stem-cell researchers). I'm not sure how glad I can be about this.
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Old 23rd April 2006, 05:40 PM   #90
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I thought this was an insightful, balanced editorial by the LA Times.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,6899990.story

It lays out some ideas for a turn around. I think the possibility of them actually being implemented is low. I felt a sense of optimism when Newt Gingrich made somewhat similar suggestions about a year ago that Bush might turn things around. I really doubt it now. Bush seems to be pretty much determined to not make any real changes because I think real changes would require some personal recognition that stuff has not gone well on his watch and I see no signs that Bush is willing to admit that.
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Old 23rd April 2006, 08:49 PM   #91
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Originally Posted by Skeptic View Post
Er, you DO realize this is "Rolling Stone" magazine, don't you? The other headline article is "Pearl Jam--Best Album in Years". Call me skeptical, but...
Well, I just read the essay. Seems altogether a reasonable piece, and would be no matter who published it.
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Old 24th April 2006, 12:30 AM   #92
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Originally Posted by Tricky View Post
How about a report card format?
I think you're being generous. Hey, why didn't you go ahead and write this in a purple font like the limp-wristed liberals out in Santa Cruz? How can you give him a passing grade in history? And does he really deserve a C in English because he might not be as stupid as Dan Quayle? C'mon...
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Old 24th April 2006, 04:34 AM   #93
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Originally Posted by Cain View Post
I think you're being generous. Hey, why didn't you go ahead and write this in a purple font like the limp-wristed liberals out in Santa Cruz? How can you give him a passing grade in history? And does he really deserve a C in English because he might not be as stupid as Dan Quayle? C'mon...
I think he writes okay, he just can't speak very well. Besides, if it's not fair to compare him to Danny Quayle, it surely isn't fair to compare him to Willy Clinton who could talk a python into dis-engorging a wildebeest.
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Old 24th April 2006, 08:15 AM   #94
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Originally Posted by aerosolben View Post
Their record profits have instead been driven by massive revenue increases ($60 billion jumps in each of the last two years), driven by I'm not sure what.
So you admit that their revenues for the past two years are out of line with historical performance.

I'm also not sure where you get your statement that their profit margins have not changed. Income per share and overall net income have more than tripled since 2002 The return on "average capital employed" has approximately doubled in the past two years according to their financial statements, but the total amount spent on upstream operations has risen by barely 20%. And this despite the losses from Hurricane Katrina.

And you admit that you have no idea where this financial windfall is coming from. But you're positive that it's not due to price-fixing.

I'm sorry -- but I see no grounds for your opinion whatsoever.
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Old 24th April 2006, 09:03 AM   #95
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Originally Posted by drkitten View Post
So you admit that their revenues for the past two years are out of line with historical performance.
Not necessarily. I only looked at the past five years.

Quote:
I'm also not sure where you get your statement that their profit margins have not changed.
Profit margin = earnings / revenue. I assumed that was obvious.

Quote:
Income per share and overall net income have more than tripled since 2002
Yes, one expects that when revenue grows and profit margins stay the same.

Quote:
And you admit that you have no idea where this financial windfall is coming from. But you're positive that it's not due to price-fixing.
Am I? That's news to me.
I merely said that your explanation does not appear to align with the facts. I am open to the possibility that it might, you'll have to provide some evidence beyond speculation.

Quote:
I'm sorry -- but I see no grounds for your opinion whatsoever.
It's been a pleasure talking to you, too.
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Old 1st May 2006, 08:30 PM   #96
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Results of new poll of history and political science professors:

Experts: Bush Presidency Is A Failure Little Chance To Improve Ranking

Quote:
Loudonville, NY – At a time when President Bush’s public opinion polls are at an all time low, eight in ten history and political science professors rank President George W. Bush “below average” or “failure,” according to a new expert opinion poll by the Siena College Research Institute (SRI) released today. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of those surveyed think the President has no realistic chance of improving his rating.

The findings are the result of an expert opinion poll, in which SRI asked history and political science professors at colleges and universities across the nation to rank George W. Bush on a common scale for ranking American presidents developed by Arthur Schlesinger, Sr., more than half a century ago.

The Siena survey asked the experts –744 professors responded – this question: “George W. Bush has just finished five years as President. If today were the last day of his presidency, how would you rank him? The responses were: Great: 2%; Near Great: 5%; Average: 11%; Below Average: 24%; Failure: 58%.”

The experts were also asked, “In your judgment, do you think he has a realistic chance of improving his rating?” Two-thirds (67%) responded no; less than a quarter (23%) responded yes; and 10% chose no opinion or not applicable.
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Old 2nd May 2006, 05:40 AM   #97
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http://users.net1plus.com/dacobes/TN...%20(print).htm

This editorial rambles a bit, but it touches on many of the reasons that I would have expected the JREF conservatives to see Bushco as a disaster. Except for disagreements on the Iraq war with this guy's views, what of his main points does the JREF Bushco defense team disagree with?
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Old 2nd May 2006, 07:46 AM   #98
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Originally Posted by Mark View Post
"Spin and turn, life goes on and on."---Tom Paxton

You conveniently forgot Bush's BILLIONS in giveaways to the very rich...which were supposed to be temporary. Yet another Bush lie; but you knew that.
Tax cuts are not giveaways. They are a reduction in "take-aways."

Aaron

ETA: Sorry, I was bad... normally I continue the thread further before replying to insure something hasn't already been replied to. This had. I was bad because this is such a pet-pieve. It's just horribly difficult for me to imagine they think the government has first claim on my money instead of me.

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Old 17th April 2017, 10:48 PM   #99
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You people in 2005 have no idea what's coming
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Old 17th April 2017, 10:49 PM   #100
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Anyone wanna update their answers?

I still say Dubya is by far the worst

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Old 18th April 2017, 12:41 AM   #101
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Originally Posted by MrFliop View Post
Anyone wanna update their answers?

I still say Dubya is by far the worst
Trump is probably the most mentally off president of all time. He lies relentlessly, he is childish in the extreme and he may be incapable of serious intellectual analysis of any issue.

But are we judging risk, competence, issues or actual results?

Trump:
Risk: through the roof. He has childish fantasies about solving serious international problems with bluster. He has no temperament for analysis. He seems to have seriously low levels of empathy. Trump is clear winner on this.
Competence: Extremely low. No effort to put qualified people in positions of power because he is either unable or unwilling to use the presidency for anything other that personal political and financial gain. He has shown absolutely no nuanced view of any issue. Trump also beats Bush on this. Bush made some pretty big mistakes but he seemed to have some kind of grasp of the issues.
Issues: Trump is so fluid on virtually every issue that it impossible to form much of an opinion on what he stands for in many areas. I'm a moderate Republican, economically conservative to moderate and socially moderate to liberal. A lot of what Trump espoused would have been disastrous in my view, but it appears on domestic issues he is not going to implement a lot of the BS he spouted in his campaign because of Republican Party pushback. Unfortunately, the environment, and rights of various minorities will take a serious hit. Right now, judging the race for worst president based on their views of the issues I would rate Trump somewhat worse than Bush. But if you see this from a different vantage point you might like Trump better on the issues than Bush.
Actual results:
Here Bush may still take the prize. It is hard to imagine how Trump will catch up to the disaster of the Bush presidency: Unnecessary, disastrous war pursued with stunning corruption and incompetence, coupled with disastrous domestic policies that led to the worst financial crisis of my life. For Trump to catch up in this area he will need to do something like initiate a unilateral strike against North Korea or start a disastrous war with Iran. Trump seems to be unaware that the anti-Iran rhetoric in the Republican party is BS that they mostly don't want to act on. Bashing Iran was mostly just part of the routine Republican blame Obama for everything strategy. Even though an Iran war would be good for their fossil fuel overlords, the uncertainty and human disaster of an Iranian war is probably something most Republicans don't want, but is Trump in on the joke?
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Old 18th April 2017, 10:11 AM   #102
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Originally Posted by MrFliop View Post
Anyone wanna update their answers?

I still say Dubya is by far the worst
That stupid, idiotic, liar George W. Bush still gets my vote as the worst President ever.
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Old 18th April 2017, 10:12 AM   #103
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Originally Posted by Crossbow View Post
That stupid, idiotic, liar George W. Bush still gets my vote as the worst President ever.
We can only hope that Trump won't "beat" him.
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Old 18th April 2017, 10:21 AM   #104
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How timely!

Oh wait no it's not.

BDS lives!
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Old 18th April 2017, 10:36 AM   #105
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Originally Posted by Tony Stark View Post
We can only hope that Trump won't "beat" him.
I quite agree.

While Trump is clearly the absolute worst candidate to ever sort-of get elected President, at least he has (not yet anyway) been the worst President ever.
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Old 18th April 2017, 10:59 AM   #106
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Originally Posted by Crossbow View Post
I quite agree.

While Trump is clearly the absolute worst candidate to ever sort-of get elected President, at least he has (not yet anyway) been the worst President ever.
My sentiments exactly. It is interesting how racism, party identity, nationalism, religious ideology and celebrity adulation have worked to make it so that he retains popularity in the face of relentlessly childish, boorish, corrupt behavior.
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Old 18th April 2017, 11:55 AM   #107
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Originally Posted by Crossbow View Post
That stupid, idiotic, liar George W. Bush still gets my vote as the worst President ever.
Insufficient data. Trump's got at least 3.75 years yet.
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Old 18th April 2017, 12:18 PM   #108
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Originally Posted by Crossbow View Post
That stupid, idiotic, liar George W. Bush still gets my vote as the worst President ever.
Bush was bad but there is a reason that James Buchanan wins most of the Worst President ever polls among Historians. It's called the Civil War, and Buchanan's incompetence in office was a major factor in bringing it on.
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Old 18th April 2017, 12:33 PM   #109
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Originally Posted by dudalb View Post
Bush was bad but there is a reason that James Buchanan wins most of the Worst President ever polls among Historians. It's called the Civil War, and Buchanan's incompetence in office was a major factor in bringing it on.
Some of Trump's supporters appeared anxious for another one if he lost.
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Old 18th April 2017, 12:33 PM   #110
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I'd trade in Trump for Bush any day, but Trebucet said, we won't really know for another 3.75 years.
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Old 18th April 2017, 05:43 PM   #111
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Originally Posted by MrFliop View Post
You people in 2005 have no idea what's coming
Yeah, could you go back to 2005 and avoid all this?
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Old 18th April 2017, 06:12 PM   #112
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Originally Posted by dudalb View Post
Bush was bad but there is a reason that James Buchanan wins most of the Worst President ever polls among Historians. It's called the Civil War, and Buchanan's incompetence in office was a major factor in bringing it on.
Here's my "defense" of Buchanan:

The North-South division could only have been healed with war or secession. It didn't matter how good of a president Buchanan was, he would only have delayed the inevitable.

Let's say Lincoln capitulated to all of the South's demands to avoid war. Violence would have just erupted in the West.

Bush, on the other hand, managed to generate catastrophe out of pretty good times. The wars were unnecessary. The budget explosion was unnecessary - unfunded tax cuts, unfunded prescription drugs, unfunded wars.

There are presidents who manage to maintain when things are good (Clinton), those that fail to stop horrible things from happening (Jackson up to Lincoln), those that manage to excel in the worst of times (Lincoln, FDR), but only Bush and maybe Hoover managed to really **** **** up without reason.

We'll see what Trump does. The fundamentals are pretty ok. There's no need for one international crisis after another. Syria is bad, but that's regional and it's nothing the world hasn't seen before.

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Old 18th April 2017, 06:44 PM   #113
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Trump is so much more incompetent and deceitful than even GW. He's on top of my list and I doubt I'll see that change.

Dubya's Iraq War and the WMD lie remain the worst POTUS caused disasters. (Edited to add, Vietnam war was a worse POTUS caused disaster, but I'm thinking more recently.)

So it depends on if you are looking at the man or the events.

We'll be lucky to escape Trump's Presidency without significant consequences.

Hi Dave, nice to see you around.

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Old 18th April 2017, 06:44 PM   #114
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Originally Posted by dudalb View Post
It's called the Civil War, and Buchanan's incompetence in office was a major factor in bringing it on.
Depends on whether you think the Civil War was worse or better than the alternative.

Originally Posted by Tony Stark
We can only hope that Trump won't "beat" him.
Bush was bad, but obviously not bad enough. I am hoping that Trump does 'beat' Bush. He needs to be so bad that people finally wake up and start acting responsibly.

How bad? In 1861 it took a civil war. Trump needs to cause something on that scale. Doesn't have to be all-out war though (nuking a major US city should be sufficient). But whatever it is has to directly affect the lives of US citizens in a major way, with no doubt as to who is to blame (Bush killed over a million innocents, but they were all foreigners so it didn't count).
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Old 18th April 2017, 07:53 PM   #115
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Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger View Post

Hi Dave, nice to see you around.
Hi SG, nice to be around. thanks.
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Old 18th April 2017, 11:59 PM   #116
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Originally Posted by davefoc View Post
Actual results:
Here Bush may still take the prize. It is hard to imagine how Trump will catch up to the disaster of the Bush presidency: Unnecessary, disastrous war pursued with stunning corruption and incompetence, coupled with disastrous domestic policies that led to the worst financial crisis of my life. For Trump to catch up in this area he will need to do something like initiate a unilateral strike against North Korea or start a disastrous war with Iran. Trump seems to be unaware that the anti-Iran rhetoric in the Republican party is BS that they mostly don't want to act on. Bashing Iran was mostly just part of the routine Republican blame Obama for everything strategy. Even though an Iran war would be good for their fossil fuel overlords, the uncertainty and human disaster of an Iranian war is probably something most Republicans don't want, but is Trump in on the joke?
It depends, does he want a second term or not? The effect of strikes on Syria and a hard-line stance on North Korea are visible, his popularity is up from a nadir.

Two years from now these would be effective ways to shore up support before an election, but today, they're just too early to have any meaningful effect. Wait three more years and see what happens.

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Old 19th April 2017, 05:00 AM   #117
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Originally Posted by dudalb View Post
Bush was bad but there is a reason that James Buchanan wins most of the Worst President ever polls among Historians. It's called the Civil War, and Buchanan's incompetence in office was a major factor in bringing it on.
I know that Buchanan had his problems, but to blame the Civil War on him is rather unjust.

After all, the north-south tensions had been building for decades before he came along. For example, there were the very high tensions during the Jackson administration some 20 years earlier where South Carolina had actually discussed leaving the Union over the tariff issue.

This in in real contrast to the Iraq War which was a war of choice that was started by the stupid, idiotic, liar George W. Bush.

Although no one can really agree as to why this war was started, but the only reason that I can find which consistently makes sense is that Bush, Jr wanted to vindicate the legacy of Bush, Sr while at the same time showing Bush, Sr that Bush, Jr is not the wimp that Bush, Sr was.
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Old 19th April 2017, 05:06 AM   #118
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Originally Posted by Crossbow View Post
After all, the north-south tensions had been building for decades before he came along.
Those tensions existed since the Union was formed. 250 years of divide, and it doesn't seem to be near ending.
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Old 19th April 2017, 12:40 PM   #119
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Originally Posted by Crossbow View Post
I know that Buchanan had his problems, but to blame the Civil War on him is rather unjust. ...
I've wondered about this. I found out a little about this when I participated in a thread about whether the civil war was about slavery several years ago. I was surprised to find out how important the issue of slavery was from the start of the US. So exactly what was Buchanan supposed to do? On the other hand, historians that know vastly more about this than I do, seem to think Buchanan really screwed it up, so it seems he must be in the running for worst president ever.

But I've wondered for awhile if the worst president wasn't really Bush. It was hard to imagine how any other American president had done such enormous damage to the US and the world from a point where stuff was pretty good before him.

Weirdly, I think Bush might have been at least an OK president but essentially turning the presidency over to Cheney and Rove had disastrous results and he seemed incapable of doing anything about this for the first five or six years of his presidency. At the end where Cheney and Rove had lost power Bush seemed to show signs that things might not have been that bad if he had decided to be president after he was elected.
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Old 19th April 2017, 12:58 PM   #120
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Originally Posted by McHrozni View Post
It depends, does he want a second term or not? The effect of strikes on Syria and a hard-line stance on North Korea are visible, his popularity is up from a nadir.

Two years from now these would be effective ways to shore up support before an election, but today, they're just too early to have any meaningful effect. Wait three more years and see what happens.

McHrozni
I have wondered about the possibility that Trump's bluster and craziness might move the world in the direction of fixing long term problems. So far my guess suggests that it won't.

Syria: Trump's administration overtly sided with Russia and Assad before the poison gas attacks. This is despite the fact that Assad had carried out vicious attacks on his own people for years that had killed thousands of people. So what was the message from the bombing? That the US isn't going to stop Assad from massacring civilians, he will just need to do it with conventional weapons? The Syrian civil war continues on with Russia preventing the downfall of their client, Assad. That is the problem and bluster and random acts of violence seem unlikely to change that.

North Korea: Any solution of the North Korea problem must involve South Korea and China. Trump's pompous posturing seems unlikely to accomplish anything. A unilateral attack on North Korea that Trump seems to be threatening has the potential to destabilize the entire world and would likely cause enormous damage to US allies in the area. I think if Trump actually ordered such a thing that the American military and political bureaucracy would not go along with it, possibly triggering a constitutional crisis. But I also think Trump is a coward and is just not going to risk a confrontation like that even if for some reason he thought it was the right thing to do.

So in neither scenario above does it seem likely to me that Trump, the pompous buffoon, is going to make something better, but there is a good chance that he is going to make some stuff a lot worse.
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