Why I respect Bush

In 2000 and 2004 I voted Democratic, mostly just because the candidates were "better than Bush."  I soaked up the opinions around me denigrating him.  And I still think he's easy to dismiss as a fool.  From all his oratorical flubs to invading Iraq, from going it alone to the economy's collapse, he has a lot to answer for.  But he's too easily dismissed as a fool.  He's not so easily pigeonholed.  He just took part in an interview with ABC News' Charlie Gibson.  This is his legacy he's talking about, not to mention politics.  And I agree with a great deal that he says.  

He pointed to that fateful incorrect intelligence about weapons of mass destruction as "the biggest regret of all the presidency."  Lol, can't disagree with him on that.  Staying there once we discovered the mistake was possibly a mistake we can put on his shoulders, but we can't say for sure how things might have turned out otherwise.  As he says, "That is a do-over that I can't do."  Which is certainly true, but may also be a tactic to encourage us not to leave earlier than he thinks we ought.  Certainly, this is one subject on which we all wish he had not "listened to [his] values."

I wish he had won his battle on immigration.  On that subject, he had my full support.   "I firmly believe that the immigration debate really didn't show the true nature of America as a welcoming society," he said. "I fully understand we need to enforce law and enforce borders. But the debate took on a tone that undermined the true greatness of America, which is that we welcome people who want to work hard and support their families."  Now that's inspirational (Take notes, Obama!).

Some times he's hypocritical.  "I also knew that the president has the responsibility to try to elevate the tone. And, frankly, it just didn't work, much as I'd like to have it work."  Ok, now explain why you kept Karl Rove so long!  Or did he realize his mistake, and that's why Rove wound up leaving the White House?

I still don't believe No Child Left Behind was a success.  Part of that is the obvious opinions of my high school teachers.  Part of that is that I was never in danger of being left behind, and in fact classes were frequently slowed down to accommodate everybody.  How are we supposed to create engineers, doctors, and lawyers if schooling is slowed down???

His phrasing of the economic answers is surprisingly clever.  He points to the action he's taken, affirms that he'll take more if necessary, indicates that the problem is confidence in the market, but doesn't resort to repeating "Buy, buy, buy!", and throws in the token defense that the problem started in the markets, and before his presidency... and he just couldn't do anything to stop it.  I guess he could have listened to those who forecasted this turn of events long before he did anything, or used his prominent post to call for more regulation... but no.

About Obama's election: "I think it was a repudiation of Republicans," he said. "And I'm sure some people voted for Barack Obama because of me. I think most people voted for Barack Obama because they decided they wanted him to be in their living room for the next four years explaining policy."

My opinion: it seems like Bush tried to govern as a moderate, but campaigned as a staunch Republican, and owed all his support to the party.  When he broke away from that, he lost all but his most hardcore base, and the ability to effect any of the change he would have liked.  Obama, hopefully, will have the wisdom to govern as he campaigned.  And Bush's one more thing: "One of my parting words to him will be: 'If I can help you, let me know.'"  I can only hope that Bush recognizes that his values have led him astray... and then that Obama takes him up on his offer, and doesn't tell anybody.  I trust Obama enough not to need to know his sources, and I don't want him to lose the support of everybody who would whine about taking advice from Bush.