But these two men were different people, and different presidents. Here are some of the key policies of both men to help you remember what each was remembered for.
GEORGE H. W. BUSH
This is was the man who ran for president in 1988, and was the number two man under Ronald Reagan. His famous statement "read my lips, no new taxes" turned out to be a mistake in the long run as he ultimately betrayed the confidences of the American people by doing just what he said he would not. He was able to appoint 2 members of the Supreme Court, but his domestic policies were judged to be lack-luster. Bush was most confident in foreign affairs (as he had gained much experience from his time as vice-president). Operation Desert Storm was one such example of successful policy. Probably the most significant event in foreign affairs under Bush senior was the destruction of the Soviet Union, which was the beginning of a new era in foreign policy. The Soviet Union would no longer be the guiding principle in US foreign policy.
GEORGE W. BUSH
George Bush junior was president following Clinton, making him the 43rd president. The "No Child Left Behind" policy, which hoped to help the state of education in the US was created during his time in office. The 911 terrorist attack occurred in his first term, and it provoked a series of anti-terrorist legislation including the Patriot Act. Bush declared the "War on Terror" and began a crusade against al-Quaeda, but later he would be publicly criticized for dragging the country into war. Bush was also president in our lifetime, so perhaps many of you have heard opinions about him from your parents. My parents tend to think he was one of the worst presidents of all time, but realistically they haven't been alive through enough presidents to really know that.
We have covered Bush senior more in depth, so if anyone would like to add some information about him please comment. What else stood out to you about him?
Historically looking at the ranking of the different presidents from George Washington onward you see that Bush senior is definitely ranked higher then his son. Why? Well many have argued this but I personally think that during his term as president his main drive was his foreign policy. He saw the gulf war, an invasion in panama, and the end of the cold war. Though many of these things were not under his control he was the president that saw the end of many of the conflicts that existed in the 20th century. For this reason his presidency is not ranked amongst the lowest. However his lack of control over the economic situation and the empty promise he gave lead him to lose his second term against Bill Clinton. George W Bush on the other hand survived two terms however many regard him as a worse statesmen. There are many reasons why this is one of them being the idea that due to America's conditions after communism in the time of terrorism people wanted to trust there president therefore Bush gained support. To conclude I believe that though Bush senior was a better statesmen his son's presidency had better time and place.
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