The Triangle

Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: News

Media Credit: MCT Campus

As Barack Obama was sworn in Jan. 20 as the nation's 44th president, former President George Bush left the White House with mixed opinions on the legacy he left behind.

A survey of recent entries and news articles show that the future view of Bush will depend on the outcome of the war in Iraq and the results of major policy decisions on national security.

According to one mother of a marine, in a FOXNews article, the former president did the best for the country, for which she was very appreciative. Her son, Deryk Hallal, was lost in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism.

"I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe. ... And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them," Bush said in his final news conference.

Bush also said there is legitimate debate about many of these decisions, but there can be little debate about the results noting that America has gone seven years without another terrorist attack.

Chris Cillizza, in The Washington Post's blog, said Bush's actions on security will act as a model for how he will be judged.

Cillizza said much will hinge on how Americans ultimately judge Bush's reaction to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent war in Iraq. The more favorably the war is seen in the long view of history, the better Bush's numbers (and legacy) will look.

"Obama's presidency will partly shape Bush's legacy," Ginacarlo Stefanoni, president of the Drexel Democrats, said.

Stefanoni also said if Obama ends the war in Iraq and finds success in his first term, it won't work well for Bush's legacy.

"I don't think his legacy will change much unless something goes horribly wrong with Obama," Stefanoni said. "He has handled some things well, and I guess that's the fact that we haven't really been attacked by terrorists since 9/11."

Syndicated columnist, Joel Mowbray, wrote on The Fox Forum, a FOXNews blog, "If Iraq in 5-10 years is a stable, safe and reasonably functioning democracy, early historical reviews would be hard-pressed to ignore Bush's singular role in one of the greatest turnarounds in modern times."

"It's hard to have a perspective when we have been living in [the Bush presidency]," Mike Hess, chairman of the College Republicans said.

Hess referenced some of the costliest hurricanes in world history, a war on terrorism, and one of the largest financial crises to hit America.

"None of which, could have been prevented," Hess said. "He stuck to his principles… that's all you can ask of someone."

A New York Times article on presidential legacies states that many presidents are judged as much on what they do after their presidency as they were during their terms in office. The article cites Herbert Hoover's charity work after losing to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter's humanitarian acts with Habitat for Humanity.

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