The President's Legacy?

George Bush’s Legacy
A president’s legacy is often distorted when viewed through the cloudy lens of time, propaganda, and outright lies. Like a broken kaleidoscope, a legacy will appear different depending on the angle from which it is viewed. A legacy is often the product of major events during the president’s term of office. The large events of George W. Bush’s presidency can only lead to a negative legacy.
Every president who enjoys a favorable legacy has made the most of major events. The major events for Washington and Lincoln ended in significant victories for those presidents. Franklin Roosevelt had the depression and World War II. Kennedy had the Bay of Pigs incident. Lyndon Johnson had the end of the Viet Nam War and the Great Society. Each man suffered his share of criticism from various factions in the government and the public. But, as they say, everyone loves a winner. The above-mentioned men were perceived to be winners in the major events of their terms. Thus, favorable legacies.
George W. Bush’s presidency has been clouded with so much secrecy, intrigue, and distortions that those who assume to take on the responsibility to frame his legacy will have a difficult time separating the lies from the truth.
President Bush will always be remembered as the president who lost the election but was "enthroned" by grace of the United States Supreme Court. Being an illegitimate office holder from the outset, no one should be surprised that George W. Bush and his cohorts followed a pattern of roguish behavior throughout his two terms in office. Generally, the populace assumes that a president will act for the good of the country as a whole. However, George W. Bush has used the office of president as his private fiefdom, accountable to no one. History is myopic. Will the historian care or remember that George W. Bush used false intelligence to attack Iraq, or that civil liberties took a backseat to the desire of a group of hawks to use the September 11 tragedy as a ruse for war.
President Bush’s performance in his major events does not flatter him. He didn’t perform well in the September 11 tragedy. Most would consider Rudy Giuliani the real hero. George Bush was nowhere to be found in the Katrina catastrophe. He has handled the Iraq War poorly.
What’s worse is that the President completely disregards the country’s wish to end the war in Iraq. It’s one thing to disagree with how the war should be ended, or whether there should be a published deadline on when the war should end, but it is apparent that this President has no intention to end the war during his term in office. Through the tried and true process of the ballot, the people of the United States confirmed that they wanted this war to end. Rather than listen to the people, this President continues as if not election took place. Rather than make efforts to bring the war to a close, he forces more American troops into harm’s way. He discards anyone whose opinion is different from his. And, in this case he has disposed of many advisors and generals who believed the war should end. He acquired office under less than clear circumstances, he dragged the country into was on false pretences, and he refused to remove American troops from harm’s way despite a clear message from the American people to do so.
President Bush’s overall performance has been poor. Ultimately, his legacy has to be unflattering.