Is Obama a better president than George W. Bush?

[CountDeMoney]

Speaking of Dubya:

Bush: 'I wish they weren't called the Bush tax cuts'

Former President George W. Bush reflected on his presidency in a rare public appearance Tuesday, poking fun at his low approval ratings and saying he didn't miss being the leader of the free world.

"People ask, 'Do you miss the presidency?' I really don't," Bush said at an economic forum hosted by his George W. Bush Institute at the New York Historical Society. "I enjoyed it; it was an unbelievably interesting experience. It was inconvenient to have to stop at some stop signs — stop lights coming over here, but I guess I miss that."

Bush also offered some revealing comments about one of his most enduring pieces of legislation, the so-called Bush tax cuts.

Bush said that the tax cuts would have a better chance of surviving if his name hadn't been attached to them. In recent years, Democrats have resisted renewing the cuts, which they say favor the wealthy too much.

"I wish they weren't called the 'Bush tax cuts,'" he said.

Bush also seemed to suggest that, as the country climbs out of a recession, the focus on the budget deficit should take a back seat to the focus on growing the economy.

"Most of the political debate — and I guess rightly so — is about our balance sheet," Bush said. "But we believe that, in order to solve the balance sheet, first and foremost, you've got to grow the private sector. And therefore, the focus ought to be on private-sector growth."

Those comments seem to fly in the face of the new tea party-influenced Republican Party, which has been pushing the debate more towards spending cuts.

But Bush said a bigger economy would eventually eclipse the exploding national debt.

"The pie grows, the debt relative to the pie shrinks, and with fiscal discipline, you can better solve your current account deficits and your entitlements," Bush said.

The speech was notable for the light-hearted tone from the former president, who has shied from the public eye and made a point not to weigh in on President Obama's performance.

Bush repeatedly poked fun at himself, noting the caricature of his presidency as one of an unsophisticated half-wit.

Talking about a book put out by his foundation, Bush joked that people would be surprised that he is producing yet more literature — in addition to the memoir he released after his presidency.

"It's got to be a staggering thing for some of the cynics up here; I publish a book, and now the Bush Institute's publishing a book," Bush said. "They didn't think I could read, much less write a book."

The Accidental President, indeed.

[grumbler]

Speaking of Dubya:
(snip)

The Accidental President, indeed.

He's actually been a model ex-President; stepping forward at the right times, and stepping back at the right times.

[Caliga]

I do think Obama has been a better president than Dubya, but I don't think he's been a great president (so far).  For Democrats, Clinton >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Obama, and I do believe Hill would have been >>>>> Obama too.

[Admiral Yi]

I think this is tough.  It's easy to say they were wrong.  But I think the Administration was staffed with lots of Clinton veterans and the Clintons themselves were advising.  I think all of that advice would have been that the White House should let the negotiations happen in public, let Congress take the lead and 'own' healthcare reform and basically do everything to avoid what happened with Hillarycare.

Admittedly I don't think they expected another Kirstol-style 'kill the bill' strategy.  But if they'd knocked heads together more then we don't know what would've happened, they may have lost Baucus or Nelson.  (Edit:  Or of course it could have worked and been passed quicker and communicated better.  As I say I genuinely don't know which was right but I think they chose their strategy on this for good reasons.)

I don't fault Obama's negotiations with Blue Dogs over health care.  He needed their votes.  I do fault him for his pork-barrelesque stimulus bill and the accounting tricks he used to fund Obamacare.

Overall clearly a better president than Bush though.

[DGuller]

I think Obama's greatest challenge has been that Republicans basically went on strike, country be damned.  In our system, if you don't have 60 Senators onboard, you aren't going anywhere if the other party doesn't want you to go anywhere.  Yes, technically, Obama did have the 60 votes during his first year, until Teddy croaked, but then we get into the tiresome discussion about what it really meant for "Democrats" to have 60 votes in the Senate.

Now, given that, could things have gone better with someone else in office?  I'd like to think that a more politically astute president would've been able to shame the Republicans into not destroying the country to save it, but I don't think it would matter.  The fundamental problem lies with the voters themselves, and a large majority of them are utterly insane, and have been utterly insane even before the black guy become the president.  I don't think our country is capable of going anywhere until something snaps those insane morons out of their self-destructive mood.

[Admiral Yi]

Yeah, that destroying America thing really sucks, I wish they would cut it out.

[DontSayBanana]

I think Obama's greatest challenge has been that Republicans basically went on strike, country be damned.  In our system, if you don't have 60 Senators onboard, you aren't going anywhere if the other party doesn't want you to go anywhere.  Yes, technically, Obama did have the 60 votes during his first year, until Teddy croaked, but then we get into the tiresome discussion about what it really meant for "Democrats" to have 60 votes in the Senate.

This.  The problem wasn't named Obama, it was named the '08 election.  Nearly everyone in Congress has gotten far too big for their britches, but the Republicans have been particularly egregious in behaving like the executive branch is an unpleasant nuisance to be circumvented.

[garbon]

I think Obama's greatest challenge has been that Republicans basically went on strike, country be damned.  In our system, if you don't have 60 Senators onboard, you aren't going anywhere if the other party doesn't want you to go anywhere.  Yes, technically, Obama did have the 60 votes during his first year, until Teddy croaked, but then we get into the tiresome discussion about what it really meant for "Democrats" to have 60 votes in the Senate.

This.  The problem wasn't named Obama, it was named the '08 election.  Nearly everyone in Congress has gotten far too big for their britches, but the Republicans have been particularly egregious in behaving like the executive branch is an unpleasant nuisance to be circumvented.

Lefty tears are tasty.

[DontSayBanana]

Lefty tears are tasty.

Less tears than exasperated sighs because enough of this bullshit could lead to Hungary being taken more seriously than us.

Righties that should probably have failed basic civics classes in college deserve a swift kick in the nuts for making the rest of us look as retarded and petty as them.

[Razgovory]

I think Obama's greatest challenge has been that Republicans basically went on strike, country be damned.  In our system, if you don't have 60 Senators onboard, you aren't going anywhere if the other party doesn't want you to go anywhere.  Yes, technically, Obama did have the 60 votes during his first year, until Teddy croaked, but then we get into the tiresome discussion about what it really meant for "Democrats" to have 60 votes in the Senate.

This.  The problem wasn't named Obama, it was named the '08 election.  Nearly everyone in Congress has gotten far too big for their britches, but the Republicans have been particularly egregious in behaving like the executive branch is an unpleasant nuisance to be circumvented.

Lefty tears are tasty.

You shall be thirsty this fall I fear.

[Razgovory]

Yeah, that destroying America thing really sucks, I wish they would cut it out.

Heh.  The night Obama won the election I decided to check out some more conservative forums.  FreeRepublic.com etc.  I remember seeing people posting how they (private citizens), should spend as little money as possible so as to tank the economy.  That way in four years a good Republican could come to power again.  Country First!

[Ed Anger]

Speaking of lefty tears, I watched about 30 minutes of Current this morning. Talk about stupid.

Then I blocked the channel. USA! USA! USA!

[garbon]

Lefty tears are tasty.

Less tears than exasperated sighs because enough of this bullshit could lead to Hungary being taken more seriously than us.

Righties that should probably have failed basic civics classes in college deserve a swift kick in the nuts for making the rest of us look as retarded and petty as them.

The problem is that you (and many Dems) spend too much time actin superior. The opposition doesn't agree with you, they must be terribly stupid people.  As a general rule, human beings don't respond well to being called ignorant. You can't expect to win their hearts if you're parading around your superiority (with little evidence to back it up, imo).

[garbon]

I think Obama's greatest challenge has been that Republicans basically went on strike, country be damned.  In our system, if you don't have 60 Senators onboard, you aren't going anywhere if the other party doesn't want you to go anywhere.  Yes, technically, Obama did have the 60 votes during his first year, until Teddy croaked, but then we get into the tiresome discussion about what it really meant for "Democrats" to have 60 votes in the Senate.

This.  The problem wasn't named Obama, it was named the '08 election.  Nearly everyone in Congress has gotten far too big for their britches, but the Republicans have been particularly egregious in behaving like the executive branch is an unpleasant nuisance to be circumvented.

Lefty tears are tasty.

You shall be thirsty this fall I fear.

Doubtful. Even when Dems are on top, Dem hacks QQ about Republican minority plots with the inevitable refrain (actually DGul already brought up) that they still can't do anything as Dems don't toe the party line and let the evil Repubs hijack the conversation.

[Habbaku]

I don't think anything could have helped that.  Bush could be FDR-come-again and they still hate him.  Their reasoning is often alien and bizarre.  They are convinced that he didn't win the election, that he won only because the SCOTUS stole it for him, that's he's blithering idiot who can't even speak with a teleprompter, that he's a front for the evil Haliburton-lead Dick Cheney.  What can you do with such people?

Seems familiar...