Bode Bush: The Worst President Ever?

It strikes me that Bode Miller is an perfect metaphor for George Bush's America: great talent and promise entirely negated by overweening arrogance and irresponsible lack of preparation, all cloaked with a belligerent pretense that failure and the alienation and contempt of the entire world is unimportant compared to being "true to yourself."

In a sense, though, the comparison is unfair -- to Bode. For all his considerable failings and failures, Bode is at least in no danger of being found to have been the worst skier in history. George, on the other hand, could very well be history's worst president.

I am nowhere near a good enough student of the Presidency to rate Presidents, especially those prior to the turn of the century. But modern Presidents seem to have fallen into five categories: those who were truly great (Roosevelt); those who had a mixed record of accomplishment but had the good sense not to screw up the energetic, peaceful times over which they presided (Clinton); those whose significant accomplishments were overshadowed in the end by horrible failures (Johnson); those who accomplished little but at least did no significant harm (Eisenhower); and those who failed to act effectively in the face of impending crisis but who probably cannot be fairly blamed for causing the crisis itself (e.g. Hoover).

Bush, though, seems to be in a class by himself. He seems to combine the very worst of all his immediate predecessors. His foreign policy is worse than Johnson's. His domestic policy is worse than Hoover's. His (or at least his Administration's) honesty and respect for law are worse than Nixon's. And his overall ineptness is at least as bad as Carter's.

I cannot identify a single positive thing that Bush has done. Perhaps "No Child Left Behind" will eventually have good results, although the early returns are far from encouraging. But beyond that, everything I can think of is an unmitigated disaster.

Domestically he has given us tax cuts, a Medicare drug benefit, the Department of Homeland Security, NSA spying, an assertion of executive power that would make Nixon blush, and a polarization of the electorate that is probably unprecedented, at least in the last 100 years. The first two of these will pose unsustainable burdens on our children and will end up exacerbating the polarization of American society. The third is at best a bad joke and at worst a cure far worse than the disease. And the last two are unimaginably dangerous.

His international "accomplishments" are even worse. Like Johnson he embroiled us in a war that did not need to be fought and cannot be won. But unlike Johnson's war, Bush's now seems virtually certain to undermine the stability of an entire region of the world that is of critical strategic importance to the United States. In addition, he has brought us Abu Grahib, Guantanamo, black camps, extraordinary rendition, and acceptance, even encouragement of torture. All of this he did in the name of increasing American security. But can anyone deny that we are both far less secure and far less free today that we were even on September 10, 2001?

Is there anything positive that has come from this Administration? Is there a worse President in the last 100 years? Or ever?