President Bush – Worst and Best President of All Time
Damn you, History!
As a amateur historian, it has generally quite irked me that the majority of the population has little to no understanding of the history of the presidency, and in that vein no basis for comparison for modern or contemporary presidents, their roles, their legacies, or for that matter their quality of leadership. Invariably, opinion polls over the last few years asking both the question “Who is the greatest president in history?” and “Who is the worst president in history?” have come back with a resounding “George Bush” from the predictable opposing political groups.
Thomas Fleming puts the Bush presidency into a little perspective, while offering up a few juicy tidbits of historical slander; like for instance, were you aware that Warren G. Harding had a private box at a D.C. strip club? Did you even know we once had a president named Warren G. Harding?
The Bruce 10:23 am on March 2, 2009 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Too bad he wussed out when he got to Clinton.
Mein Schatz 10:39 am on March 2, 2009 Permalink | Log in to Reply
No, he didn’t puss out, as you say, when its comes to Clinton, and for good reason: his presidency is too contemporary and adjacent to the last president to accurately analyze in the context of historical importance. There has not been enough history between then and now to accurately judge the ramifications of his terms in office in the context of other presidents in history. An historian could offer analysis of his presidency/policies/legacy, but these would have to stand independent of the litmus tests that people use to judge contemporary presidents.
This is a fine line, I admit, but the author is merely suggesting that HISTORICAL analysis cannot be made until a person or event can actually be considered history and no longer current events or recent happenings.