Bush A Truman For Our Times?
I certainly think the comparison is apt.
Harry Truman was one of the most unpopular Presidents in this country’s history while he was in office. In fact, many of the records for public opinion poll unpopularity Bush is breaking now were set by Truman himself. Yet time and again when political leaders - including Democrats like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - are asked to name their favorite Presidents they name Truman.
Why? Because he made the right decisions instead of just the popular decisions, and ultimately history proved him to be right.
I believe the same will happen to Bush. For a certain type of rabidly partisan American he’ll always be a sort of evil incarnate. But for those whose judgment isn’t clouded by a miasma of political hatred I think Bush will be seen as a strong but flawed leader who didn’t always make the right decisions, but got enough of them right to have made a difference.
