>> Sam wrote: >> Sorry to say this bud but Bush might be remembered like Reagan :) >> > >The odds of that are nil: > >1.) Economically - barring a huge change, failure: massive spending.
Very similar to Reagan in Defense buildup. Reagan also proposed cutting Social Security increases. >2.) Domestically - large assault on state's rights, removed police/fire >funding. I don't agree with your assessment. >3.) Internationally - alienated most every nation on multiple continents. That's just not true. The countries that don't like us didn't like us before Bush. They all loved Clinton, the internationalist, but they hate Bush because he believes in peace through strength, just like Reagan did. >4.) Afghanistan - huge success only to be f'd up by diverting >resources into Iraq boondoggle. Not true. We were never going to committ huge resources to Afghanistan. Why should we? It has no strategic value. We have accomplished our goals - remove Taliban from power, isolate bin Laden, help Afghans start to build democracy. We didn't get bin Laden at Tora Bora, but he can't do anything whereever he is now. Eventually we'll either get him or he'll die in isolation. Fine with me. >5.) Iraq - see Afghanistan boondoggle. This failure will carry over >into other terms like 'nam. Your opinion of Iraq is not shared by everyone. I happen to think we're doing a fair job of it given the circumstances. >6.) Environment - head in the sand. How so? >7.) Entitlements - went after the wrong thing (SS vs MA/MC) and failed. Wrong. Democrats are not about to engage in reforming Medicare/Medicaid, any more than they are going to engage in reforming Social Security. These programs are the centerpiece of the welfare state created by the best of the 20th century Democratic Party. I predict that the Democratic Party is going to ride these programs right into the ground. Democrats will not budge an inch until voters have realized the totally unsustainable nature of these programs and they deal the Dems a HUGE, HUGE blow at the polls in a future election. I think the failure of the Democrats to engage in a productive debate about reform is a shortsighted tactic to frustrate Bush that will ultimately become the single biggest mistake of U.S. domestic politics in the 21st century. > >Outlook : where most Presidents get an afterglow, Mr. Bush will max >out at ~50% and then decline as his policy choices come home to roost >with future Presidents. Mr. Bush stands a high likelyhood of becoming >the scapegoat President. Who knows? If Iraq and Afghanistan succeed at building stable democracies for the long term, Bush will get credit for changing the Middle East, whatever difficulties they encounter along the way. Bush will also get credit for his foresight in trying to deal with SS. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Stay Ahead of Hackers - Download ZoneAlarm Pro http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=65 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:160135 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
