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Sunday, March 9. 2008

A failed presidency?

Jeffrey Bell at Weekly Standard wonders how the Repubs might deal with the aftermath of a "failed presidency."

It's a worthwhile piece, but I am far from sure that Bush has been a failure - unless the measure of failure is the popularity poll of the week. Few presidents remain popular towards the end of 8 years, because everything they have done annoyed somebody.

Posted by The Barrister in Politics at 10:56 | Comments (8) | Trackbacks (0)

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The success of presidencies is always relative to the conditions of the times making them difficult to judge. And when times are unexpectedly challenging it becomes more about that individual’s style (and their help) than it is about the horse they rode in on.
#1 commander clopfelter on 2008-03-09 11:44 (Reply)
“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
-Winston Churchill
#2 Rob on 2008-03-09 12:27 (Reply)
this housing bubble and attendant credit squeeze sure is a weak third act -- but the first two acts -- no more 9-11s and a booming economy -- are solid achievements in the big-picture way.
#3 buddy larsen on 2008-03-09 12:51 (Reply)
Bush had nothing to do with the housing bubble.
#3.1 BD on 2008-03-09 13:29 (Reply)
The truth of the matter, and the politics of the matter, are two different things, for sure.
#3.1.1 buddy larsen on 2008-03-09 13:45 (Reply)
The politics of the matter are, unfortunately, more damaging than the truth of the matter, as in Viet Nam.

http://tinyurl.com/36holg
#3.1.1.1 Irish Cicero (Link) on 2008-03-09 15:32 (Reply)
I know. Truth is rarely a factor in politics. Politics is about power.
#3.1.1.1.1 BD on 2008-03-09 15:40 (Reply)
truth has a leg up on gaining the power if and when the politics is in good faith ("the art of compromise").

But the ''good faith'' rises and falls on that ''likeability'' factor.

My mom used to say --unapprovingly-- that "if you like somebody they can do no wrong, if you don't, they can do no right''.

So the circle comes round to good faith again, because a person of good faith 'can't' like a scoundrel.

I guess that's why Bill Clinton is so unsettling ('corrupting') -- it's not so much him as it is what their affection for him says about our fellow citizens, toward whom we want--or should want-- to have good will.
#3.1.1.1.1.1 buddy larsen on 2008-03-09 16:41 (Reply)

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