Not a great President, but SO much better, so much more moderate, than his son. He gets three stars for his principle, if not his policy. Some will say, he deserved to lose, he broke his No new taxes promise. I say, no he did what he could see needed to be done, even though he knew it would upset his base. He thought about his tax stance, and changed his mind. Thinking about outcomes, and the ability to be flexible enough to change based upon new information, are good qualities to have. Acting upon reliable new information, even when it costs political face, is what we should expect our leaders to do. That is what makes Bush Sr. a far better man than his son.

At the time, I would have suported senior Bush all the way. He stopped a mad man from taking over Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and eventually the world. Supported by most major countries worldwide. He was a tad bit dull, and didn't do much to help the economy, which is why he didn't get reelected. Still, his removal of Saddam from Kuwait makes up for his losses. He had no idea that Saddam would break all UN and US resolutions, and that the UN would turn around and support him.

Military servise, lets not forget the New World Order. The whole Bush family is corrupt. Check history, starting with the nazi's

This man is ok. Unlike his dummy son.

Anybody who serves in the Airforce, is willing to get shot at, takes a swim in the Pacific Ocean and goes back up in the air to serve his country get's an A in my book. Thank you for your heart and devotion to this country.

He was not a bad president, but the economy was not good under his stewardship. However, I do think he has more substance and more brains than the current Bush occupying the White House. I'm rating him a 4 star primarily because I think he is a decent man with a lot of heart. He celebrated his 80th birthday by taking a parachute jump. After his jump, he said he wanted to prove that even if you're 80, you've still got a life. I was really impressed, and I think it's wonderful that a man his age still has a such a sense of adventure.

A good man but not as strong in his convictions as his son.

Not half the man his son is.

EVIL

Much Better-n-JR. A knowledgable foriegn policy guy who commanded respect around the globe. Domestic policy was so-so, but passed. He flew P-61s in the Pacific, while jr escaped to 'Bama in an obsolete F-102. Dunno what happened - I'm guessin' Big Mama screwed up the nest.

Not very good, but a decent human being. Weak genes though, because it seems Dubya takes after his close-minded and often bitchy mother.

Did an ok job as president during a very difficult political enviornment. Caved in to the opposition way to often. ie.. pulling out of iraq early and the infamous read my lips comment. Needed more backbone to be most effective. Would have been re-elected though if not for Perot, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Well he was a little better than his Dumb as a Rock Son.

Like father, like son!

War criminal. Tief.

Pathetic. One term was way too much.

One of the finest men to become President, but he was too politically inept to win a second term. The legacy of his administration was liberating Kuwait from Saddam Hussein, remarkably in a month's time, destroying some liberals claims that the Gulf War would be a repeat of Vietnam. He should've gotten a mandate from the UN to overthrow Hussein as the Iraqi population was rising, as Bush had so much geopolitical capital at the time. The economy during his term wasn't nearly as bad as everyone suggests. It was a minor burp, yet Bush failed to communicate the positives of the economy and instead let the Democrats script the debate. Don't forget Read My Lip: No New Taxes. Quite simply, the Democrats played Bush like a banjo. First, he makes that statement during the Convention. Next, the Democratic-led Senate forces him to break that promise in the name of deficit reduction and economic recovery. Finally, these same Democrats air campaign commercials emphasizing Bush's failure to keep that promise. Amazing that Bush was played like that, but between getting outmaneuvered by the Democrats and failing to communicate about the economy, Bush's heart wasn't in the reelection and perhaps he deserved to lose. That said, there's no question that Perot siphoned votes away from Bush, and '92 would've been a very close election, maybe just as close as '00.

Better than his son!!!

In my opinion, Bush Sr. assembled the most competent cabinet and administration in modern history, though this was mostly due to the eight preceding Reagan years in which the chaff was largely removed. While Bush Sr. only had four years to finish much of the unfinished business from the previous Regan Administration, he was largely successful in doing so (eg implementing the peace dividend by starting the long-term process of standing down the Cold War military position). Unfortunately, Bush Sr. also thought he was above politics which resulted in his ignoring campaigning which ultimately cost him a second term. If Bush Sr. had stayed in office from 1992-96, then there would have been some legitimate chance that real debt and tax reduction would have been completed when it was the least economically painful to do so which Clinton failed to do. (One must comprehend government accounting to fully understand this.) Moreover, we may have been able to begin creating actual social security reserves that will be needed if the program has any hope to be saved. Instead we got an increased social state (that is impossible for us to afford in the long-term) and more generational tax inequities from continuing to shift the burden of current general expenditures to future generations. Some critics suggest that the U.S. should have finished off Saddam during the Gulf War, but these critics seem to be the same people who complain about a lack of international coalition today (ie the Iraq War and occupation). One should remember that the coalition was built on a limited engagement (ie ousting Saddam from Kuwait) and substantially going beyond these constraints would have most likely resulted in serious damage to American relations in the Middle East (though one could argue, perhaps, that Bush Sr. should have negotiated fewer limitations).

He should have finished this war years ago.

The Bush family, known for their support of Hitler and the Nazi regime until censure by the US government in the early 1940s, has been linked to dirty deeds of all kinds and numerous crimes against humanity via war for profit. Bush is a dishonest power monger who believes the way of the world is to conquer by force. He is a criminal and true believer in world domination through murder for profit. He is a member of the Carlyle Group and was formerly in leagues with the Bin Laden family in schemes for profit though arms manufacturing and oil domination. Only after 9-11 did the Bin Ladens sell their holdings in Carlyle and were carefully and quietly flown out of the United States under Bush family protection. See people who should burn in hell for more information.

Like father, like son!

Not as bad as his moron son, but still pretty bad. Iraq is happening today because of this bastard ordering a cease fire in the early 90's and allowing Saddam Hussein to murder thousands of Iraqi people.

Good man, he just lacked the tenacity of his son to get things done.

Excellent with foreign policy, almost clueless on the domestic side. However, he did sign the legislation giving broad rights to handicapped American - the ADA. Thousands of American's benefitted from his 1,000 Points of Light initiative. Excellent job liberating Panama from Noriega and Kuwait from Hussein.

A rather do nothing president whose motto: Don't worry. Be happy. was about all I remember of him.

Idiot.

smart guy; didn't agree with his policies; raised an idiot for a son.

Compared to his idiot son he was great. Bush senior was a good man but a bad president.

You have to love bush! But not male CIA evil bush!

better than Dubya, although I can't give him a 2

The puppet from Texas. With Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, and Fox News pulling his strings.

This guy was highly touted as "the most qualified man ever to run for President." At that time, and to the present moment, I couldn't figure out what was in his past that made him so qualified, and seeing that he was one of the lamest fossils ever to sit in the Oval Office, one has to wonder why those supposed great qualfications didn't serve him any better. To begin with, they tried to make him out as a war hero, but as a pilot he bailed out on his crew during that crash landing he made in WWII that they made so much about. He was the only one in the plane to get out safely, which is kinda suspicious: I always thought the captain went down with the ship, but in Douche I's case, only the crew, the men whose well-being he was entrusted with, bit the bullet. A most auspicious early display of leadership by the future Chief Executive of the land. Secondly, he was a Congressman from the third world country that calls itself "Texas," and as such, pulled strings to keep his son out of perilous military duty during the Viet Nam era. That same son was AWOL during his last year with the draftdodging Texas Air Corps and went on to be the most brain-dead President since Ronald Reagan. Third, he was top spook at the CIA, which is enough for anyone not to trust him. Fourth, he was the Chairman of Republican National Committee while a third-rate burglary and fourth-rate coverup called "Watergate" was perpetrated. Fifth, he was a notably dim Vice President in one of the most corrupt and misguided Presidential administrations ever. So far, this isn't such a great track record. Add to this less-than-stellar profile the fact that his father, Prescott Bush, a figure reverred in conservative circles, was an investment banker whose company, Union Capital, was seized by the federal government in the days prior to WWII because it was doing so much business with Adolf Hitler and the rest of the fun bunch that provided us with the Holocaust. As President, he presided over one of the most persistant recessions in our country's history, lied to the American people big time with his "Read My Lips: No New Taxes" nonsense, and failed to put Saddam Hussein out of business despite the fact the fourth-rate despot was on the ropes during the Gulf War. One of my fondest moments of this pinhead's tenure was when he vomited in the lap of the Japanese Prime Minister. Yeah, this guy was a real live one, all right...

This man is a fool. He is a fool from a rich and powerful family who are using him as their puppet to increase their own profit and power. But a fool is a fool, and buying him an election is no more redeeming than buying him a functional brain to use. His presence in the White House makes the US a laughing stock for the whole world. What we need is peace not Dubya. Bring back Jimmy Carter!

To sum up President Bush- he came into office fully considering himself to be a President who was made to deal with foreign affairs, and only pledged to continue the policies of his predacessors. However, as President, Bush had to deal with the ever growing federal deficit, pushing the 300 Billion Mark in 1992. He compromised with the Democrat-controlled Congress for budget cuts in order for a tax raise. During the Bush Presidency, the Gross National Product, increased at its slowest rate since the 1930s. While promising to be both the environmental president and the educational president, President Bush accomplished little in either area. He did manage to sign the Clean Air Act of 1990, but later went against enforcing it saying that it was a drag on the economy. He did argue for federal vouchers in education but did little to improve public education- with the dropout rate increasing during his Presidency drastically. President Bush also stacked the federal courts with right-wing appointees, which, as a politician, is not uncommon. In foreign affairs, Bush had much more success. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Bush did sign the START Treaty with Russia cutting the nuclear aresenals of the U.S. and Russia by one-quarter. President Bush also drastically reduced federal spending on defense. President Bush hoped to create a New World Order, but unfortunately, he accomplished little. President Bush declared a war on drugs and went into Panama to get Noriega for smuggling cocaine into the United States, a wise move in my book. The President also initiated NAFTA negotiations. The President's leadership during the Gulf War was near great, and his only setback was that he did not get Sadamm himself out of power. This, along with the ailing economy, can be attributed to his failure to win a second term. In the final analysis, President Bush had his faults as well as his good traits, and deserves a mediocre rating.

I like the kid better.

Father of dictator.

To paraphrase SNL: "I can't believe this guy was my president!"

A prime example of what happens when you don't put domestic affairs first. A good public servant, I admire the man for his years of duty. Personally, I think he was ready to leave when he lost to Slick Willy. A bonafide good man.

Although a good man, he made some unfortunate choices - specifically for Vice-Pres(Quayle, Supreme Court (Scalia), and NASA Chief(Goldin). On the other hand, he chose Cheney and Powell both good. His son has made wiser choices overall for cabinet.

his whole family is a pile of crap.

Read my lips, no more taxes! Irresponsible and incapable of straightening out his priorities, just like his son!

Crooked bastard, took the economy into the depths and does nothing to correct the problem, restored the low tax on the wealthy, spent our bonaza, increases the deficit spending, takes vacations while the workers of America are laid off....what more needs to be said? WORST PRESIDENT

A great man! why you ask? Look at his son!

Bush wasn't a horrid president,but nothing great either. For one thing, he dragged us into the pointless Persian Gulf War, (let's face it, folks- it was an oil war and nothing else) but then didn't even get the job done by finishing of Saddam Hussein! The war then sent the economy into a tailspin and led to the recession, which Bush was totally in denial of until it was too late. That's the main reason I voted for Clinton in 1992 at age 18 in my first election! Bush was not a very good speaker and flat out lied (does "Read my lips: no new taxes" ring a bell?) But I did like his wife- Barbara Bush was one of the coolest First Ladies ever! She had a great sense of humor, was genuinely caring (unlike her predecessor AND prodecessor!) and supported her husband through all of his flaws. Thank god Bush was only in there one term- I don't think this country could've handled four more years of Republican rule!

George Bush is a good man and was a good president. I was glad to see his son become President and I'm sure he's very proud like he's constantly expressing. His problem was that his management style was more based on personalities rather than problem solving. His foreign policy was very much based on this principle and it lead to some problems, specifically concerning the situation in Russia at the end of the Gorbachev era. He should have embraced the Reformers like Yeltsin and his type more; if he had taken the initiative earlier on, Russia may not have fallen into the semi-anarchy that has befallen the country today. Nixon was right when he said that we should have sent aid to Russia right after the end of the Cold War like we did with the Marshall Plan after the Second World War. Aid not just in money but in logistics and technology to lift that huge country out of the feudal ages. Because we vacillated with that, the mob lords now run that country; Bush missed a key opportunity in history. His effective leadership during the Gulf War ousted Saddam from Kuwait and kept oil prices low. But still, he did not complete the job; Colin Powell once said that we cut the snakes tail, but we didn't cut it's head. That was the problem with the Gulf War; the United States left an enemy which we will have to inevitably return to fight and oust. I understand that Bush had problems with domestic support, a shortsighted liberal Senate led by George Mitchell would not really give him support for the war and he was afraid of getting stuck in a Vietnam like quagmire if we tried to get Saddam out. That would not have been the case, Schwartzkopf said it would have cost us some casualties but it could have been done swiftly. That was another thing, Bush, like Clinton in Kosovo, was too afraid of casualties; they are soldiers, they realize what war is and they realize the risks of the job. He didn't lead at a critical point of the war and the result is that the situation has only been made worse by leaving Saddam intact. I do think that Bush got a bad rap with the economy. The 1991 recession was caused by a downturn in the oil economy after the Gulf War. There were also other causes, including the end of the Cold War. Defense contractors were no longer needed as a result of cutbacks in defense spending; the result was higher unemployment in areas of the country that relied on the defense industry like the Northeast and California. Bush did not have anything to do with this, it was simply economic and political cycles at work. The situation was nothing terrible, but the media began to portray Bush as being unreceptive towards peoples everyday concerns. This was not a fair assessment, but it lead to the end of Bush's presidency. Clinton's campaign grabbed on to the issue of the economy and Bush allowed Clinton (and Perot) to define the debate. The recession was very short comparatively speaking, really only 4 months. The economy actually grew in the last 8 months of Bush's presidency. He did have a stimulus package and it was working. The economic boom of the 1990's was not a result of Clinton's genius like what he like to gloat about. Poor Bush was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and it cost him.

OOOH! I know a line from one of my favorite songs that would perfectly describe his presidency: "It started off so well." (The song, by the way, is "Save Me" by Queen, and the title perfectly describes the situation of the USA under his son.) What the f*** was he thinking, puking on a Japanese statesman?! And he said it was a good thing we had "under God" in the pledge of allegiance. What a jerk! I am glad he was voted out of office and replaced by Clinto, who, despite what crazy CONservatives think, is a good, kind man. And now, his idiot son with the spoiled brat daughters is in office! So "save me"!!!!

Maybe not the best option, but so much better than the out-of-touch Gore...

George Bush is a big liar, that should have never even been able to run for president. Him and Barbra just sit around all day running around the white house naked, with trumpets, and drinking vodka with their even worse son, George and his wife Laura.

under this mans term the u.s.a. lost alot of money and his daddy's boy cheating son was elected when this was one of our worst presidents