Bush Compares Himself to Reagan, Truman But Governs More Like Wilson
As the Worst President Ever in American history, George W. Bush so incompetent that his presidency really can’t be compared with any other. Laughably, however, his acolytes and worshippers often compare him with Truman and Reagan, meaning he’s unpopular now but will be well-regarded by history.
But Joseph Nye says that while the comparisons to Truman and Reagan are wishful thinking of the highest order, there is a 20th Century presidency that compares with Bush’s on many levels — that of Woodrow Wilson:
Both are highly religious and moralistic. Both came to power as minority presidents focused on domestic politics. Both responded to an international crisis with a a bold policy, and both defined a vision that failed to balance ideals with national capacities. Their rhetoric about democracy is quite similar, though Wilson was interested in international institutions while Bush is not. But perhaps most important, both were poor managers, failing to organize diverse information flows in their administrations, and were resistant to new ideas. Persistance can be an admirable quality in a leader, but not if it means resistance to course corrections. Then it becomes blind stubborness. As Robert Lansing, Wilson’s secretary of state noted in 1917, “even established facts were ignored if they did not fit in with his intiutitive sense, his semi-devine power to select the right.” Sound familiar? And, of course, Wilson failed as a transformational leader as the country rejected his policies over the next two decades. Bush’s case is still open, but he is running against the odds.
