Remembering GW

The more time goes on, the fewer individual accomplishments of each President get remembered. I would imagine that at this point, most US history books, if they discussed Jimmy Carter at all, probably will discuss his term term briefly in terms of the following blurbs:

1. stagflation
2. started process of deregulation
3. Iranian hostage crisis

Maybe, just maybe there’s something about Arabs and Israelis thrown in.

Continuing our broad strokes look at recent presidencies, in a few more years, Reagan will be just:

1. End of stagflation / morning in America
2. Tax cuts
3. Deficits as far as the eye could see
4. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall
5. Iran Contra

GHW won’t really have much. I imagine he’ll be thought of, rightly or wrongly, as Reagan’s third term. He raised taxes slightly but by so little it won’t get a mention. The Soviet Union fell during his term, but nobody really associates GHW as having anything to do with it, or it affecting his administration in a large way. In a few decades, about the only mention of GHW might be the Gulf War.

What about Clinton:

1. Raised taxes
2. Ran surpluses

I imagine two events that happened during his term will get tied to him in some way: Oklahoma City Bombing and the stock market bubble (not that all of it was a bubble).

So what will GW’s term be remembered for?

1. WTC
2. Afghanistan
3. Iraq
4. Katrina
5. Return of fiscal irresponsibility

That last one might get tied to an economic slowdown and/or housing bubble should the either become a very large problem. A scandal or two (US Attorneys perhaps) might get attached, and its certainly not too late for something else to spiral horribly out of control, Katrina-style. And none of the items on the list look like they’re going to be portrayed in a way that is flattering toward GW. And I can’t think of anything big that will portray GW in a positive light.

But am I missing something? Is there anything big for which GW is going to be remembered well?