“How odd that today we admire Ronald Reagan whose coattails never could translate into a House majority, who was nearly destroyed by Iran-Contra, and who left office in uncertainty over whether he had really changed much the Cold War calculus. Harry Truman finished with about a 25% approval rating, winning no credit for the birth of containment. After his crankiness, the Democrats wanted a more “thoughtful” liberal like Adlai Stevenson as their leader. Churchill—demonized after Gallipoli, and ostracized during the 1930s—was then voted out of office in 1945 after saving Britain from its enemies. Lincoln was perhaps the most hated man in the United States by August 1864. I mention all this because George W. Bush, who won two wars after September 11, and changed the course of U.S. foreign policy to encourage reform abroad, and prevented so far another 9/11 like attack, can obtain a similar respect from history—as long as he realizes two truths: he must persevere, and no more give into realist seducers than did Churchill to those who called for dialoguing with Hitler; and he must accept that he will leave office hated. But if he flip-flops to get his approval ratings back up to 50%, he can be assured that history’s will be no kinder to him than it was to LBJ, Nixon, George Bush Sr., or Bill Clinton”. –Victor Davis Hanson, Stanford military Historian who teaches at Fresno State
Speak for yourself, Prof. Davis. Admire Reagan? Well, yes, the neo-conservatives, whose 15 minutes of fame may hopefully be ending. Bush won two wars and led a foreign policy encouraging reform abroad? Tell that to Iraq and Afghanistan. Got us all into a quagmire is more like it!
Um, just curious, what two wars has Bush “won?”
Because last I checked Iraq hasn’t been “won,” Afganistan is going to hell with local leaders cutting deals with the Taliban and the “war on terror,” is by Bush definition, never ending.
So, what wars has he “won?”
KMS,
Reagan is one of the most admired ex-presidents in United States history. More so than people admire Clinton, Carter, LBJ, Bush Sr, and many others. Of course the strong left doesn’t admire him much, but given that they strongly admire one of the worse presidents in US history, Jimmy Carter, I take their criticism lightly.
Robert,
It is that point that Hanson is addressing - while Bushs presidency won the ground war in Afghanistan and Iraq, he must stand on principle, unswayed by public opinion, to win the larger war.
No one seriously looks at Jimmy Carter as a great president, many see him as a great humanitarian and a great ex-president. But even the most liberal view his presidency as flawed.
What are the two wars we won?
What ground wars, we bombed the crap out of Baghdad and Afghanistan.
This is the denial and fantasy that Bush and co. live in.
These fights over two countries has lasted longer than our involvement in WWII.
Throw in the chaos of Katrina and the enormous deficit that he created, the erosion of the constiution and the Bill of Rights and I can’t think of how history can look positively on him.
You’re doing a heck of a job Bushie.
Please tell me by what criteria is the Afghan war won? Our objective there was to oust the Taliban, create a stable, alternative, at least nominally pro-Western government and rout Al Queda.
We were actually close to doing all of that until the Iraq war was started. Now, American troops are still under fire in Afghanistan, the Taliban is creeping back into power and Al Queda is, again, gaining strength there.
Facts are troubling, I understand, but they are facts.
this hispanic pundit guy is an idiot. he keeps up this b.s. right wing hispanic crap trying to link with the neo-nazis, opps i mean conservatives his talking points are truthines, so hes proably a child molester..the bloggersphere is alive..its alive..hah..hah,,hah
Somehow I think Patna has a point he’d like to make - but he hasn’t come close to expressing it.
Name-calling doesn’t get you far in the blogosphere.
To me Hispanic Pundits comments are moderate.
As for the wars, it takes time.
Christ!!!!!! It’s taken this long just for the government to set up its own cyber warfare center “8 years”.
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As a friend of mine said, and who is also a hardcore democrat “What the elections prove is that the America People have NO stomach for a REAL COMMITMENT to win”.