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Friday, December 12, 2008

The George W. Bush of History

In the snotty, condescending style we've come to expect from New York Times articles about Republicans, even when they're saying something nice, Stanley Fish says that George W. Bush will be able to rehabilitate his image and become a popular figure post-presidency.

While I don't agree with backhanded compliments and regurgitation of liberal talking points ("... the amiable, funny, folksy and gregarious guy who tricked himself and the rest of us into thinking he was something more."), I do think that history will treat GWB more kindly than current events have.

For one thing, his image is bad because of the constant bombardment of abuse from the army of liberal reporters, commentators, bloggers, Hollywood types, and crazy homeless conspiracy nuts standing on the street screaming at parking meters. Once Bush is out of office, they'll have other fish to hate.

But I also think that Bush will gain some historical cred as the first world leader to actually take action against the terrorist culture of the Middle East. More action is going to have to be taken, and I don't mean Obama's junior-U.N. plans for peace through chatting. There are going to be more real, live, bullets-and-'splosions battles in the war on terror, and the people who have to fight them are going to credit George W. Bush for being in the vanguard.

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