It is a truism that at least 25 years must elapse before the effectiveness of a U.S. president’s administration can be fairly judged. What seemed like a good idea at the time may have bitter consequences a few years after the president is out of office. Conversely, a “What was he thinking?” policy may, in the long run, turn out to have been a much better choice than it seemed.
Twenty-five years have not elapsed since George W. Bush left office – not even 25 months – but columnist Ross Douthat raises some interesting points about the administration’s efforts to correct its own mistakes and about some of its policies that had little popular support at the time but that may prove in the long run to be proud legacies.
Douthat essentially raises the question, If someone causes a house to catch on fire, then puts the fire out, should he be condemned for starting the fire or praised for extinguishing it? It’s an intriguing question.
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Brian King said:
A lesson to pull out of modern presidencies is apparently that the weight of governing our modern society is quickly surpassing the ability of our leaders to properly manage it. Everything is so complex that almost no one has what it takes to see all possible permutations and make the right call in real time. As both political parties maintain their myopic visions of America, it becomes more and more difficult to compromise on anything. Naturally you then lose about 50% of our national brainpower because neither party ever listens to the other. We can’t afford to lose this 50%, no matter which party is in control of the steering wheel.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:45 am
Mark Abukoff said:
I think that the best way for a President to “succeed” is to have, rather than a series of agendas or a vague and frightening plan to ‘fundamentally” change the country, a fundamental understanding of what the people want, regarding serious social and cultural issues (immigration, taxes), and what has been known to succeed in the past. Form an agenda that is faithful to the Founding Fathers’ vision, and stay on that. In short, have a vision that is faithful to the past and to the present, and stick to that. Don’t try to “appeal to your base” and don’t spend your presidency campaigning, Show faith in the American people to support sensible leadership, and you’ll be fine. And don’t ever treat us like we’re stupid. Kerry did it, Gore did it… someone else is doing it right now…
September 22nd, 2009 at 9:20 am
Jon Huettel said:
Mark.. all Presidents treat us like we are stupid. You point out the current President and Al Gore and John kerry (who were never President) yet you fail to point out how they are doing it. We are getting enough rhetoric from everyone in the government today. And, you are doing the same thing.
Funny you don’t mention GWB’s treating us like we are stupid in reference to the threat to us posed by Saddam Hussein and the fictitious WMD.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:34 pm