This week's biggest winner: George W. Bush

[sofa king]

No longer the worst President we ever had.

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I remarked earlier this week that I almost feel like I owe him an apology.

[Turn CO Blue]

2. Have said similar; that W seems warm and decent, and practically eloquent by comparison to T

I saw an article somewhere comparing one of W's Black History Month speeches to Thing One's speech, and while it could never compare to Obama the Orator, it was a very good speech and delivered well (to clarify: by 2017 standards, it was delivered well.)

[BannonsLiver]

4. I've had similar feelings

I thought Bill Maher, who I know is not everyone's cup of tea here or anywhere else, made a decent point about some of the rhetoric from the left about W when he was in office was over the top, and now we're being confronted with the real McCoy and suddenly that rhetoric seems on the extreme side.

I don't know that I would go that far. He was responsible for the single worst foreign policy decision since Vietnam, botched a natural disaster response and his economic policies contributed mightily to the great recession. But despite all of that, I appreciated his approach to immigration (light years more progressive than Trump ever will be) and also his immediate response after 9-11 regarding Muslims in this country.

"Islam is peace" was the quote and just last night CNN played a clip of Bannon eviscerating him over it on his dumb radio show.

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Welcome to DU, BannonsLiver

Shrub was awful, that's for sure. But Drumpf has shown a level of incompetence that, after just 2 weeks in office, makes most of Shrub's foibles look like they were intentionally choreographed for comedic effect.

[BannonsLiver]

6. Agreed. Oliver Stone's W was on Sundance last night. I caught myself being wistful

[pansypoo53219]

3. and no 9/11 yet.

[colsohlibgal]

7. Not Even Close

He was a witless hand puppet legacy but.......the guy in there now is mentally ill and a loose cannon to boot. And he has brought in a who's who of evil. And he might cause mega death and destruction.

[thesquanderer]

8. The potential is clearly there, but so far, I'd still say Bush was worse.

Trump has not yet invaded a country that did no harm to us and was no imminent threat, costing hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.

Trump has not yet initiated policies of torture.

Trump has not yet crashed the economy with a series of bad tax plans and bad (de)regulations.

It may all be coming, but so far, Trump has not done the damage that Bush did.

He may be a man of lesser character and worse rhetoric, and may indeed do awful things, but little has yet come to pass.

[sofa king]

10. Yeah, I'll give you that.

But if we're measuring the trajectory this dumbass is taking, his administration has already exploded on the pad and immolated the fire-crews.

[Drahthaardogs]

9. He went from my most despised to "ah heck, he's not THAT bad" in two weeks.

That has to be a record.