Posted by
txag007 on Saturday, April 26, 2008 1:33:43 AM
It has become politically popular in this election cycle to criticize the presidency of George W. Bush. Obama is out there saying that electing McCain would be the equivalent of a third Bush term. Clinton never misses an opportunity to make our President appear foolish. And McCain, evidently in reactionary mode, has chosen to distance himself from Bush rather than defend him.
Some of this is understandable given that Bush’s approval rating at an historical low. But his small approval has as much to do with the fact that for the first time in modern politics there is not an incumbent president or vice-president in the race who can defend the administration’s record than it is a reflection of the actual record itself. So, more than anything, it has become politically convenient to bash Bush. Americans should realize the challenging party has a vested interest in making the incumbent administration look as incompetent as possible.
The facts, however, tell a different story, and I believe history will regard George W. Bush as one of our greatest presidents. Among his accomplishments is the undeniable truth that there has not been a terrorist attack on this country since 9/11. Democrats can say what they want about Iraq and how it might be reducing our effectiveness in Afghanistan, but this is the longest period of time the United States has gone without being attacked in thirty years; really since the rise of Islamic Fascism.
Contributing to this statistic is perhaps the most underrated aspect of Bush’s presidency: his support for free trade. President Bush has signed more free trade agreements than any other U.S. president, and he has done it with tiny countries that would otherwise have been susceptible to becoming terrorist havens. Not only have we, under the leadership of President Bush, helped boost the economies of countries like Morocco and Bahrain, but we’ve sent a signal to the world that they are an ally of the United States.
How effective have these trade agreements been in keeping terrorists out of these countries? We might get to see first hand if Congress continues their refusal to vote on the Columbian Free Trade Agreement.