Thomas Paine wrote in TheAmerican Crisis:
THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.
The Left should be abjectly ashamed of how they have treated Bush. It has been almost uniformly disgusting — especially given the circumstances and challenges of the last 8 years. Also disgusting — and more shameful — has been the abandonment of Bush by those “loyal” to him from the Right. People who should know better. Mark my words. There will come a day when we will pray for a man like George W. Bush to be in office. He made some grave errors and missteps — welcome to the human race. He did, however, fight the good fight and did much to keep us safe and steady. He will rise in estimation. President Obama may find him a tougher act to follow than he imagines. In any case — the treatment of our President has been shameful — a blot on all of us. I hope somewhere down the road (sooner rather than later) Mr. Bush realizes how grateful many of us are.
Here is a great article on how shabbily and hatefully the President has been treated.
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[...] Dark Knight of the Soul Mark my words. There will come a day when we will pray for a man like George W. Bush to be in office. He made some grave errors and missteps [...]
It is an absolute disgrace. I am so ashamed that people treat anyone that shabbily. But that’s what the world is at right now. Hide under your covers so the bogeyman can’t get you. Treat someone who had the balls to stand up to the terrorists like he is Hitler.
Now we have our Neville Chamberlain. Bravo…
mk,
George W. Bush has not been treated well by the press, but this is nothing new. Lincoln was certainly treated worse, FDR had no less than Charles Lindbergh publically attacking his war policy. Truman’s wartime leadership was villified almost the day after the war ended.
If you want to see some really vicious political cartoons and yellow journalism against Presidents read some old newspapers. Our current crop of journalists are downright genteel compared to their counterparts in the past.
Rufus,
True but FDR was beloved in his own time, sure he had critics but I think that makes for an odd comparison. Lincoln and Truman were very much disliked and were only exonerated by history. However, contemporary political historians using all the most objective tools they can place President Bush much below Truman, who was the least liked President when he left office until Bush’s last day.
It could just be a matter of scale. I mean, back in Truman’s and FDR’s time there was no internet (well maybe according to Biden) or anything close to the mass communication today. So we get to hear how much everyone hates Bush, for a multitude of reasons and in a myriad of ways over and over and over again.
Have to agree with Skip — so much more access to the President and then instantly every word spoken is on TV, on the internet and, thus, the world over. Good, bad or indifferent.
I just can’t beat up on Bush, and I’m not ready to beat up on Obama — well, not yet, for goodness sake!!