Six years ago I was so concerned about the possibility of Al Gore becoming President that I got up out of my favorite family room chair and joined others to wave signs and walk neighborhoods on behalf of candidate George W. Bush. I even volunteered to be an observer at the infamous ballot recount.
Two years ago, my support for the Bush presidency progressed to being a Broward County Regional Chairman in charge of grassroots efforts in Southwest Broward. I oversaw hundreds of dedicated volunteers who visited tens of thousands of homes for his campaign. I even had the honor of being a driver for one of the vehicles in a Presidential motorcade when President Bush campaigned down here.
Were my efforts worth it? Has the President met my expectations? Here are my thoughts and grades on his performance to date.
Economy: B
The Bush Income Tax Cuts rescued our economy from the dot.com crash and ensuing recession Bush inherited from the previous administration as well as from the paralyzing effects of the 911 tragedy. Furthermore, his reduction of taxes on dividends and capital gains has resulted in unprecedented growth in business formation and jobs.
President Bush continues to work hard to end the “death” tax which takes money from the children of those who have worked hard to create successful small businesses, farms, and family wealth. Too many businesses and farms have folded because of inheritance tax issues.
Unfortunately, the Bush presidency has also allowed some of the largest growth in government spending in our country’s history. His failure to veto any spending bills has given Congress the ability to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow to pay those bills which will continue to impact our economy for decades to come.
Domestic Agenda: B
A good leader has a vision for his country and remains steadfast in his determination. President Bush’s vision for the United States includes an “ownership” society where individuals have added tools to make decisions for themselves or acquire their own assets rather than relying on Uncle Sam to guide their lives. Record levels of minority home ownership are just one example of that vision’s success.
President Bush proposed necessary changes to Social Security where individuals could start determining how some of their hard-earned FICA retirement funds should be invested. He was willing to touch that “third rail” of Social Security despite the political risk. Only a confident leader would tackle that initiative which, unfortunately, has faltered because of the spinelessness of both political parties in Congress.
The Bush administration has brought accountability to public education with his No Child Left Behind program and an emphasis on education choices where parents of students from failing schools can utilize part of their school taxes to send their child to better schools.
Earlier this year, President signed into law the first national energy plan in many years. This plan provides economic incentives for consumers and businesses to invest in new technologies to supplement our nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. Those incentives should also help improve our energy transmission infrastructure which has proved to be old and unreliable.
The implementation of the Homeland Security Department and the passage of the Patriot Act brought new tools to the table for our intelligence agencies to work closer together to identify, track, and bring in for questioning suspected terrorists and collaborators located here in the United States.
From his choices for Supreme Court Justices and other Federal judges to his Administration’s reversal or elimination of thousands of intrusive or useless government policies, President Bush has left a mark on the governance of this country that will hopefully last for decades to come.
International Relations: C
Nearly two years ago, President Bush declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq. Most people, including me, interpreted that to mean the hard work was over. Since then, however, we have all learned that the hard and deadly work had just begun.
Our Commander in Chief and his defense advisers failed to properly gauge and anticipate the insurgency from the remaining Hussein regime thugs and foreign terrorists who have worked together in an attempt to cripple Iraq. And our intelligence was flawed.
Fortunately, the men and women of our military continue to make our country proud as they risk their lives to spread freedom and democracy to Iraq and surrounding areas. Their efforts have resulted in several successful elections as Iraq forms its new government and a population in which, as polls have recently indicated, 77% of the citizens are happy with their lives.
On other international issues, President Bush and his administration have found themselves at odds with other countries over such issues as the Kyoto Protocols, democracy in Eastern Europe, and various trade agreements. To some, the President’s actions have hurt our international reputation. To me, the President is doing what he should do which is look out for our nation’s best interests.
Overall Grade: B
Overall, President Bush has exceeded some of my expectations but has disappointed me with other actions. I believe that when history judges him, President Bush will be remembered as one who helped spread political freedom around the world and economic freedom within the United States.
