Frank Rich: A President Forgotten But Not Gone

WE like our failed presidents to be Shakespearean, or at least large enough to inspire Oscar-worthy performances from magnificent tragedians like Frank Langella. So here, too, George W. Bush has let us down. Even the banality of evil is too grandiose a concept for 43. He is not a memorable villain so much as a sometimes affable second banana whom Josh Brolin and Will Ferrell can nail without breaking a sweat. He's the reckless Yalie Tom Buchanan, not Gatsby. He is smaller than life.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[rabiddog6708]

From NBC's Mark Murray
A "Then and Now" to show what the United States looked like when Bush was entering office and what it looks like now as he's leaving.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Then: 4.2% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2001)
Now: 6.7% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2008)

DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE
Then: 10,587 (close of Friday, Jan. 19, 2001)
Now: 9,015 (close of Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009)

BUSH FAVORABILITY RATING
Then: 50% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 31% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

CHENEY FAVORABILITY RATING
Then: 49% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 21% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

CONGRESS APPROVAL RATING
Then: 48% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 21% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

SATISFIED WITH THE NATION'S DIRECTION
Then: 45% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 26% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE (1985=100)
Then: 115.7 (Conference Board, January 2001)
Now: 38.0, which is an all-time low (Conference Board, December 2008)

FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY
Then: 6.4 million (Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 7.6 million (Census numbers for 2007 -- most recent numbers available)

AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE
Then: 39.8 million (Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 45.7 million (Census numbers for 2007 -- most recent available)

U.S. BUDGET
Then: +236.2 billion (2000, Congressional Budget Office)
Now: -$1.2 trillion (projected figure for 2009, Congressional Budget Office)

[PDH5204]

Frank, so good of you to mention Africa in your piece. According to some, the man saved a million African lives and it doesn't merit a mention by you. Don't you think that we need weigh the million lives saved in the balance, or else be bigots? Just clearing that up.

[picard922]

I like Frank Rich; however, I think this piece is off the mark. In assigning blame to GWB, he completely overlooks the complicity of the rest of the government - a rubber stamp Congress, a weak opposition party and a biased Judiciary. GWB will slink away. We're still stuck with the many of the dunces who conspired in the ruination of this country.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

I would add to that a press that failed in its duty to hold him and his administration accountable.
Only since the certainty of Obama's victory has the press been doing what it should have been doing since day one. These gloves off reports are too little too late.

[tiktokklok]

If Bush were Japanese, he would do the honorable thing by commiting hari-kari.
Unfortunately, Bush has no honor.

[AliMB]

in japan, if the executive i.e. PM is unpopular or having trouble passing legislation, he usually calls for a snap election of the diet (legislative branch). if the election results turn out poorly (by party metrics), he will resign... imagine if we had that system in the US. bush can't get bills passed, calls for a snap election, further weaking the republicans, then he resigns... of course, that is a parlimentary system, so its not like you would then have President Cheney as a default... you would likely have a powerful democratic insider take the post of PM... probably not obama though.

[horsey]

There's never been a President talked about with such disdain during his final days in office.

This President is going down as the absolute worst in the history of the country.

[AliMB]

Re: "disdain in the final days" of office... that may not be accurate. remember, the country is 233 years old, so your reflection is just based in recent times... i don't think that there exists sufficient evidence to say any with any certainty e.g. i can't find the zogby poll on what people though of andrew johnson. Re: the worst president... i think how history will judge the president depends on how the wars turn out, and also on the length of an economic recession. For example, if US forces transition out of iraq by the SOFA 2011 timeline, leaving in place a stable, us-allied iraq with democratic foundations (if however flawed), then Bush will be seen much more favorably. This is because of Bush's political courage in adopting the "surge strategy" (despite its almost universal unpopularity) which has conversed the situation. For the sake of historical accuracy, give it some time before making these conclusions.

[SezU]

Whatever man. Bush has been a cancer to the world. I'm glad he's on his way out and can't wait to see him behind bars.

[Joeblue]

Whatever you're smoking I want some or the money the GOP is paying you to write that crap.

[2008CaliforniaFan]

want to message the wh about This story or the Blair House fiasco..? I did. email link

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

[2008CaliforniaFan]

That's one writer that got the Facts right. Good piece. I'll have to see what else he writes.

Mr. Rich... wait a year and then write something on McPalin. She will have more 'stories' to be told by then.
Her resume will contain more 'facts' as well.

[tyger]

I hope in the future people realize it's important that the president have some intelligence not just the people around him. How no one could look at this man and see the vacant sign in his eyes is beyond me. He was nothing but propaganda. From his pretend military service to his supposed CEO skills. He is the most successful underachiever in America!

[cantstopme2019]

These guys should put a stop to their madness

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coyote2012/3122104261/

[hudsuckerproxy]

"He's smaller than life."

Priceless.

[spandautoseattle]

"His Majesty's health has never been better."
29.Nov 1812 Bulletin
Napoleon's Bulletin writer's are still out there, writing their fingers sore to change the history books before they're printed. Rich's piece will help to remind We The People of the truth. Good job.

[Xav7]

What a brilliant commentary by Rich. He is dead on the money.

[MFS001]

Bush says, “People will realize a lot of the decisions that were made on Wall Street took place over a decade or so, before I arrived."

Isn't that sort of like a ship's captain saying, when I got in the boat it was already headed for the rock? You had eight years to turn that rudder.

[NotWaldo]

A lot of people have grief in their souls ... Mr President !

[2008CaliforniaFan]

If Only... the Bush Library had invested with Madoff......? Oh... well.

[USAFree1]

George W. Bush has been a very successful president. He has accomplished everything he was supposed to do. He is a true conservative and will do ANYTHING to advance the conservative agenda. First, get your country into a never ending war to empty out the nation's coffers. Second, subvert democracy and use whatever means to do it such as propaganda and spying upon both your rivals and the citizenry at large. Third, create a boggie man to scare the citizenry so they will willingly give up their civil rights and liberties. Fourth, privitize everything you can and contract out vital governmental services. Fifth, move public and private wealth to the richest people and corporations in the country and the world by taking from the middle and lower classes thus destroying a stable middle class. Sixth, destroy public education and intelligent language so that everybody is dumbed down. Seventh, undermine the middle class by obliterating labor movements and domestic manufacturing and domestic industry. Eighth, sell out your country to foreigners who are wealthy and powerful. Sounds like he did all that; therefore, George has been a very, very successful conservative president.