The Worst President In History?

“Bush in the Rearview Mirror” was the title to a recent article published in The Washington Post. It is difficult to gaze at such a visual title at this present time in history and not stop to consider the state of the nation.

The situation is very critical at the moment, and at least 75% of Americans have stated in a recent poll that they were angry about it. Let’s investigate some other references and see just how bad President Bush’s ratings really are.

Some Key Phrases To Explore:
“Goodbye Bush (Never Sounded So Sweet)”, Bush’s Approval Ratings, Bush and the Gallup Poll, Bush and the Trainwreck, Congressional Approval Ratings hit new lows.

According to the Gallup Poll, George Bush had a 90% approval rating in 2001 after the terrible disasters the country suffered that year. The latest polls in 2008 have suggested that the approval rating has dropped to at least 25%, and some polls claim as low as 22%. How far this will drop is yet to be decided.

What are the lowest ratings of other presidents and to whom does the applicable belong to? This begs the grand question as to which president received the lowest rating recorded since the Gallup Poll began in 1938.

In February of 1952 Truman’s rating bottomed at 22%. This is the worst so far. Will George Bush beat this record? Many claim that Bush has already beat the record. As one reporter firmly put it, “once your approval rating hits the bottom, it doesn’t matter anyway”.
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Lowest Presidential Job Approval Ratings
1.   2008    22%    George W. Bush   10/22/08*
2.   1952    22%    Harry S. Truman
3.   1974    24%    Richard M. Nixon
4.   1979    28%    Jimmy Carter
5.   1992    29%    George H. W. Bush

Source: U.S. News & World Report 10/3/08
* New York Times Poll 10/22/08
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What is so ironic is that, while possessing the distinction of having the lowest ratings, Bush also possesses the highest ratings of any other president in U.S. history. Remember the 90% rating in 2001.

Huge blunders pertinent to failed foreign policies, wasteful spending, corruption, and false representation have left a permanent stain on the Bush administration. On top of all that, the Bush administration will be accused of leaving the country in the worst economic condition since the “Great Depression” in 1929 when things turned for the worst.

Also, in July of 2008, the Gallup Poll recorded the Lowest Congressional Approval Rating in history at 14%. Many other polls currently show that the ratings have dipped into single digit numbers, especially after the late bailout of the finance industry.

Writers are using strong metaphors when writing about the popularity of the Bush administration. Comparisons like head lice, the bubonic plague, trainwreck, etc.

In conclusion, the president and congress represent a broken government that the majority of Americans have lost total confidence in. President Bush had an overwhelmingly great deal of support in his first term. Fairly, or unfairly, he will bear the responsibility of the harsh criticism that the public has displayed.

What will be the legacy that George W. Bush has left behind? The History News Network Poll gave Bush a 61% rating as the worst president ever. This poll was taken by professional historians.

Related Links:
* What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
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