I found an interesting study here:

http://www.siena.edu/uploadedfiles/home/..._final.pdf

Basically, every few years a group of historians gets together and rate the various presidents from a historical perspective. They don't just rank them overall, but they rank them in various categories such as best communicator, best imagination, most intelligent and best luck.

I don't have any illusions about Obama; he entered the list ranked at 15th, but it's hard to say where he'll wind up until his term ends. However, he's doing a whole fuck of a lot better than the president that precedes him. Bush entered ranked 23rd overall but by the end of his presidency he ranked 39th. As for certain categories, he ranks next to last in intelligence, ability to compromise, communication ability, foreign policy and, most importantly, handling of the economy.

The reason this is so frustrating for me is that so many of the failed Bush policy and attitudes are carrying over to the current class of Republicans. Inability to compromise has become a hallmark of this clas of Republicans. Their foreign policy choices are about the same foreign policy choices Bush made, if not furter to the right. The economic policy touted by the current Republican party are exactly the same economic policy Bush promoted.

And sadly Obama did not learn a damn thing from Bush's failure.

Bush - Wars started 2

Obama - Wars ended 2


Get your head out of your ass.

from my humble <europesn view:

Created a unstable hellhole in Iraq - which will probably be a future Iranian satilite.

Alienated Iran further by putting it into "Axis of Evil" making negotiations more difficult

Furthered radical jewish movements in Israel making further progress in the peaceprocess harder

Lying several european nations including UK, Netherlands and Poland into a war in Iraq

Creating a long term war in Afghanistan when it should have been a short war by giving to much trust to Pakistan who doublecrossed the west

Furthering market deregulations on the "non real economy" which caused the 2008 financial meltdown

gave a rise to christian fundermentalism

trashed the US image throughout Europe

created a political climate in which realities are ignored for sake of ideology

(December 3, 2012 at 11:48 pm)Polaris Wrote: And sadly Obama did not learn a damn thing from Bush's failure.

Actually, read the article. While Obama isn't finished with his presidency and we therefore can't judge him yet, they can make guesses about him as of now. The areas where he ranks especially well tend to be areas where Bush ranked especially low (communication ability and intelligence).

However, Obama hasn't been able to make a lot of changes, largely because of one of those negative traits that Dubya had that carried over to the current class of Republicans: inability to compromise. The only really significant bill he's been able to pass has been the health care bill and the Democrats even removed the public option from it (personally, I think a public option by itself would have been a big step towards fixing our health care problms). So far, their inability to compromise has kept the Bush tax cuts, even though the great majority of the public want them to expire and they haven't had a single little bit of guilt holding the national economy hostage to preserve tax cuts for the Koch brothers.

(December 3, 2012 at 11:50 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Bush - Wars started 2

Obama - Wars ended 2


Get your head out of your ass.

Bush only started one war as far as I remember. Obama only ended one war of which Bush had already planned the withdrawal, he then sent troops to another conflict.

Tara. Look at their great tact at being able to destroy the economy with retarded conservative ideals (Bush started them and Obama just kept on extending them). But the real issue is both have committed war crimes that would warrant them immediate and just executions in most nations. These two Presidents have done more to alienate foreigners than the previous five Presidents combined.

(December 4, 2012 at 12:06 am)Polaris Wrote: Bush only started one war as far as I remember.

Iraq and Afghanistan. That's what she's talking about.

(December 4, 2012 at 12:21 am)Rev. Rye Wrote:

(December 4, 2012 at 12:06 am)Polaris Wrote: Bush only started one war as far as I remember.

Iraq and Afghanistan. That's what she's talking about.

The war in Afghanistan began in 1978 and has not stopped since.

(December 4, 2012 at 12:25 am)Polaris Wrote:

(December 4, 2012 at 12:21 am)Rev. Rye Wrote: Iraq and Afghanistan. That's what she's talking about.

The war in Afghanistan began in 1978 and has not stopped since.

Um, if it's the same war, we switched sides; in '78, it was the Afghanis and Us vs. Russia.
2001 on, it was Us vs. Afghanistan.