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In reply to the discussion: I'm no W fan, but this cracked me up [View all]PatSeg
(53,222 posts)Absolutely, even if it is only once in awhile. I will never give Bush a pass on his performance as President. I still believe he was intellectually incurious, highly unqualified for the position, and due to his parentage, felt entitled, even obligated to run for higher office. For all his faults, and there are many, he was a devoted husband and father, loved his dogs, and was capable of compassion and remorse. In the years to come, when I look back on Donald Trump, I know I will never be able to say anything like that about him. If anything, I think he will become even worse in retrospect.
Since Trump became center stage, I have been surprised at how much I agree with a lot of well known republicans, being we've actually found some common ground. I expect that in years to come, I will disagree with them vehemently on many issues as before, but I won't let that discount the times when we are on the same page. Finding agreement with David Frum was one of the most startling experiences of the past four years.
As for George Bush, I still wouldn't want to have a beer with him and I find him a bit boorish and dull. Surprisingly, I actually like some of his paintings though. All that said, the world would have been a better place if he'd stayed out of national politics, possibly having paved the way for someone like Donald Trump. So to sum up, Trump is a soulless monster, whereas Bush is a very flawed human being.