By: Patrick Wheat
On March 8, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, the son-in-law of Osama bin Laden who is now in U.S. custody, pleaded “not guilty” to a charge of conspiracy to kill Americans in one of the first cases of its kind to be herd in federal court. This event is an anomaly, as most suspects when charged with this crime are removed to Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the facility set up in 2002 by George W. Bush to hold detainees determined to be connected with hostilities in the Middle East. The controversial detention facility has been condemned by many as an illegal holding facility, and its shut down has been a priority of the administration of President Barak Obama. The trial of Abu Ghaith and the step away from Guantanamo Bay it represents begs a look into the legacy of George W. Bush and how, even years after the end of a president’s term, his legacy is still solidifying and won’t be clear for decades to come.
It is often said that history is written by the victors. If this is true, then if history were written on Nov. 4, 2008, President George W. Bush would, in the minds of many, be crossed from the books. One of the most controversial political figures in recent history, Bush took actions during his presidency, ranging from the military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq to No Child Left Behind, that will likely inspire intense study by political scholars and historians for years to come. At the conclusion of his two terms, President Bush left office with an approval rating in the low-30/high 20’s. Since that time, most politicians on both sides of the aisle have taken one of two paths: they have either vilified his actions, or they never speak of his name or legacy.
But is that all? Is a president, one of the key figures in the modern world, defined completely by what he did wrong? In the short-term, the answer appears to be yes. President Bill Clinton is still commonly associated with the Monica Lewinski scandal rather than being associated with accomplishments such as employing more than 100,000 more police officers and expanding education standards for schools across the country. President George H.W. Bush is perhaps better remembered for his mishandling of the economy during his run for reelection rather than for his successful leadership during Operation Desert Storm. President Jimmy Carter’s presidency is often remembered for the Iranian Hostage Situation, not the Camp David Accords. Even President Ronald Reagan, who regularly tops popularity polls, is remembered for the Iran-Contra Scandal just as much as he is remembered for his role in ending of the Cold War.
As the present becomes the past and the past becomes history, however, it is easier for the people to hold the good and the bad together when it comes to presidents. When enough time has passed for whatever collective emotions the public is feeling, albeit good or bad, then people will allow themselves to reexamine the facts regarding these men who have led the nation. An example of this is that President Harry Truman. When President Truman left office, the public perceived him as little more than a simple hat maker who stumbled into the presidency rather than the man who held a steady hand in ending WWII that history portrays him as today.
After a president leaves office, there are two categories that he or she will typically fall into as time goes on. The presidents we now consider “historical” (which for the purposes of this article we will include everyone before Herbert Hoover) are viewed by the public as the standard of excellence for all future presidents or as someone we really don’t remember. The presidents we now consider “modern” (all presidents from Franklin Roosevelt onward) are remembered in more ways, ranging from deep respect and affection to general dislike.
Returning to President George W. Bush, we see an example of a president whose terms were defined by extraordinary events occurring both at home and abroad. Many of his policies remain controversial, and years will pass before the public allows itself to look primarily at the positive aspects of his two terms. In addition to his more controversial policies, he will be held responsible what could be called his successes. He passed the Bush tax cuts, which remain in effect as some of the largest tax cuts of any kind in U.S. history. He oversaw military actions that resulted in the elimination of approximately two-thirds of the leadership of al-Qaida, including operational managers and key facilitators of attacks on U.S. citizens at home and abroad. He signed the Medicare Act of 2003 into law, which included major changes to Medicare to provide assistance to beneficiaries when paying for prescription drugs. He enacted the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Program (PEPFAR), which has provided more than $44 billion to reduce the HIV/AIDS epidemics in Africa, saving an estimated 5 million lives.
President John F. Kennedy once said, “No one has a right to grade a President— not even poor James Buchanan — who has not sat in his chair, examined the mail and information that came across his desk, and learned why he made his decisions.” No one is perfect, and rarely is a person put under more scrutiny than the President of the United States. Will the American people allow themselves, after 10, 15, or 50 years have passed, to look back at all of the actions of every president and not only the ones that represent their own beliefs? Will the officials who have served in the highest office in the land be either vilified in to eternity or allowed a modicum of respect as the years pass them by?
Only time will tell.
