This is a bit off-topic and an embarrassing question as I should probably know the answer, but when does Bush leave the White House?

I will concede that part of the Bush administrations failures is in due part to uncontrollable external circumstances. It is not those circumstances that I lay at his feet, it is his administrations reaction to the circumstances which are his and his alone to own.

Contrary to popular or should I say convenient belief he is not a bad man. However, I have found him to be intellectually vacant when it came to dealing with comprehensive issues and relying more on instinct and tradition to guide him rather than good reason. His heart was in the right place his head was in the clouds handicapped by blinders.

I do believe history will be more compassionate than current sentiment but only to a degree. It will not come to a contrary conclusion than current sentiment.

Many of the things that brought down Bush's approval rating will impact several future generations, so I doubt that he live long enough to see much image rehabilitation. The war & lives lost, the economic collapse, housing crisis, more people than ever unable to afford health care to the point that it impacts or ends their life, student debt at such high levels that fewer people can afford a higher education, the huge debt this war has created, the handling of Katrina. Not to mention the US reputation around the world.

These are not things people will just brush aside in a few years. Families that are financially tapped out will spend the rest of their lives trying to recover.

Nixon never rehabilitated a positive public image, and his approval rate bottomed at 24%. Bush hit 19% (the lowest EVER) and has hovered in that range for a long time.

Perhaps Bush could spend his last 77 days caring for his country? His supporters would best help his legacy by seeing to this than trying to make him a figure of sympathy.

People love a scapegoat.

At least Bush seems smart enough to realize that and doesn't let it get him down.

Impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton, remember? He is now viewed much differently by many. History (separation) does give people a chance to focus on the positives and forget some of the pain!

I almost want to say I feel bad for him looking at that picture of him!
I'm sure after years and years go by people will focus more on his positives then want to remember about these hard times we're having now!

Na na na na na, Na na na na, Hey Hey Hey, GOODBYE

I couldn't stand him in 2000 and still can't stand him and being from a red state the state he is from is considered a sin, I hope he lives to be able to see the day all these children that their parents died in a firvilous war (just my opinion), his last day in office can't come any faster

Pshhh! He didn't "get" a bad rap, he EARNED it!

and don't let the door hit you on your way out!

I'm trying my best to think of the "positives" they will remember.....still thinking....

"Pshhh! He didn't "get" a bad rap, he EARNED it!"

Agreed.

I believe that in America his legacy will not be tainted as it is with the rest of the world. Especially in our text books of US History.
Having moved out of the country myself, my observation is the rest of the world sees him for what he has done and how it has effected them. Unfortunately he has not handled himself accordingly and has not earned the respect from the rest of the world.
Sometimes its difficult for Americans to understand that there are other countries other then the U.S.A and they are also effected by his poor choices.

Oops and I forgot to mention "CONGRATS OBAMA"!!!!!!

i think very little of anything substantial from the white house was coming from george anyway. he was an embarrassing leader, but our country elected him twice, so who but us can be blamed. i don't think he is the evil one or that all of the jokes about him not being in charge are all just jokes. lets all be glad to have a wonderful caring vp who isn't pure evil

I totally agree with Hypno -- and the rep he got he earned --he's not the victim of circumstance.

"You have responsibilities to your fellow citizens, your country, your family, and yourself." And this: "A culture of responsibility means being accountable to your families and to yourself." George W. Bush

The irony. He deserves every bit of vitriol and hatred towards him. He and his ilk threw this country under the bus for their own personal gain. And, for that, I hope history, no, this country gives him and his ilk a comeuppance of epic proportions.

And, I personally, will NEVER forgive him for using our young men and women as cannon fodder......

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4190
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03) (the list) 4051
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3729
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3332
Since Election (1/31/05): 2752
American Wounded Official Estimated
Total Wounded: 30764 Over 100000

This does not include Iraqi casualties and death.

hahah, they are already re-writing history... before he's even left the white house. feel sorry for him? bad rap? give me a break. i will agree with those who've already said it: he earned every single percentage point drop in his approval rating. even if you consider the "external" things that happened while he was in power - his response to each one of them was 100% wrong.

myself, and the rest of the world, will never forgive him for squandering his chance to work WITH the rest of the world after 2001; we'll never forgive him for LYING to us about iraq; we'll never forgive him for abusing his executive powers; we'll never forgive him for taking things we would have said HEEEEEELLL NO to in the 90s, like torture, and domestic spying - and opening them up for "Debate"; and we'll never forgive him for downplaying climate change, to the country with the highest per-capita carbon emissions, at the most critical time possible, when we could have actually made a difference.... do i even need to go on??

BUH BYE BUSH

gbye mr. bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
im too happy today, I cant even be totally hateful right now, my heart is in too good of a place

How can everyone be so full of venom on a day they should be celebrating? While I don't like the guy, I find it hard to focus on negatives today. Let's retry this in a week or two, you think?

He never should have been President in the first place. He had no business being in the White House.

I don't believe in beating people up because they've made a major mistake. As long as he realises that he's screwed up big time, I'm happy not to bash him.

I do have to agree with pinkprincess. As much as we can b*tch about him, we put him in office twice. (Although I voted Democrat.) As a country we put him here and now this is the result. His rep is totally earned, but he will probably be remembered more nicely later on in history.

I am glad to see him go.
Hello Change. Hello Obama. Good Bye Bush.

Off topic,

But it is INCREDIBLE how much Bush has aged from 2000 to now.

As for the topic, I can't say that I will ever have much sympathy for George Bush. His presidency started off on a divisive note, and it continued that way to the very end. How much of that I actually blame only on George W. Bush is still very much up in the air. But even when he had the opportunity to unite, with the country and world behind, right after September 11, that was practically thrown to the wind with the war in Iraq. Add to that the dirty dealings with Halliburton, the completely unfounded rise in gas prices, the housing crisis, the economic crisis, the still shady reasoning for the war in Iraq, the dirty dealing of America and the country Georgia, the questionable support to African nations...and well, you've got yourself one not quite so sparkling clean bill of Administrative health.

I think Hypno hit the nail on the head. Bush was dealt a very bad hand. The media has slaughtered him. He never had much of a chance. Mistakes were made but he did what he felt was in the best interest of the country. Even if he was wrong, it was not deliberate and I am sure he regrets it every day.

I really do believe history will be a lot easier on him.

I did not vote for Bush so not all of us put him in office. Bush also has until November 2oth to pass things that Obama cannot undo when he takes office in January. So people please pay attention to what he does between now and then. He will not go quietly you can count on that!

Chaton I would normally agree but not when its comes to bush and all he has done to my country

Chatondeneige....

I think we should all be cautiously optimistic but vigilant. Bush needs to be called to task. Shame on Pelosi. He is worth impeaching. As we type, the dolt is busy crafting more incalculable damage by way of more deregulation.

We don't need to become so distracted we forget who is still in office for 75 more days. We don't need to become so distracted we forget about our troops. We don't need to become so distracted we forget about Robber Barons, Inc. raiding the coffers. Smoke and mirrors have overwhelmed this country for eight years. In order to embrace this new change mantra, we must start by shedding the pervasive complacency.

I'll be interested to see how the country's perception of the office of the Presidency changes after Obama's first term.

I'll completely conceded that Bush has not done a bang-up job. But I do think the image of what he is and is not responsible for has become greatly distorted.

A lot of Americans did not vote for Bush, have you guys seen Recount? He stole the election!

History can soften the rough edges, but stupid decisions and stupid policies will still look stupid 100 years from now. I like to think his heart was in right place; his brain just didn't follow suit.

One of the most appalling presidents ever. He really screwed things up and doesn't seem to give a crap. Horrible! Adios!

To Advah, Obama officially is sworn in and takes over on January 20th!! And bluesuze, I was just thinking I can't wait to play that song when he leaves!!! Jan 20 will be like an extra Christmas gift

And I NEVER voted for George W. Bush!!!

Adios. Regardless of how I feel about Obama (same way I feel about McCain), I am SO HAPPY that Bush is out in just a few short months!!!

I think I will choose to spend today looking ahead, and not backwards.

This day healed something in me that had been feeling pretty orphaned and wounded over the last few years, particularly in 2004.

Bush's time, love him or hate him, is coming to a close. Let's look ahead now.

Yes, I think history will be kinder to Bush than the poor Americans who have had to live through his 8 years in office.

Just now, knowing that someone who is more competent, less anti-intellectual, more eloquent, less easily manipulated, less of a Daddy's boy will be taking over come Jan 20 renders me much less bitter to Bush than I was a week ago!!

YAY OBAMA!!!

Look at the legacy he's leaving behind. It's no one's fault but his own. He had the LOWEST approval rating in history for a reason.

I don't think he's a bad man, but I'm not going to stop holding him accountable, as the leader of the nation and the boss of all those who worked for him, for all the various mistakes and failures of the last eight years.

look at that smirk!

"And I NEVER voted for George W. Bush!!!"

and I think few people did....I hope the history books get this right and tell future generations about how this man stole the election--TWICE!!!!

Watch the movie W when it comes out on DVD. (not worth going to the theater) But how did that man get a second term? A lot of Americans should be asking themselves why they voted for such an idiot.

I also think his horrific legacy will stand up over time. When Clinton was impeached he had extraordinary approval ratings, because so many people felt the impeachment was a right wing witch hunt. The whole thing was based on misinformation about his personal relationship.

You cannot even begin to compare lying about fooling around with another woman to sending thousands of people into their deaths in some battle he lied about to get us into. And the financial burden of that debt will impact generations ahead when cuts are made to other programs, like education for future generations or health care for seniors or the poor.

f*cking florida...

"Bush's time, love him or hate him, is coming to a close. Let's look ahead now."
Great sentiment. The old arguments are just that, old. Bush did what he thought was best for the country, in spite of what the MSM said about him. I thought an impeachment would've been the best way for him to clean the slate. I'm sorry Pelosi used that as a campaign tool, instead of following through on her promises.

As far as our current condition, that was started in the Clinton administration, when Fannie and Freddie were directed to guarantee loans for people that weren't exactely able to afford those loans. It's no wonder that the 5yr arms that people had suddenly went sour in 2003, 04, and 05. The loan companies found a way to make more money, and capitalized on it. That isn't Bush's fault.

i hope they don't try to excuse him. he should be held accountable for all of his mistakes. and i agree with undave, pelosi should have followed through on her promises.

"the administration little chance to go out on a positive note or give attention to his legacy."

Oh please, Bush did this mess to us and he didn't even try to get America out of the mess he helped to put it in. And I agree *Pinky* last comment.