Farewell G. W.

It’s official. Barack Obama is now the leader of the free world. The left is euphoric, the right is nervous, and Wall Street still can’t make up its mind. Americans, however, have not had any trouble making up their minds about the now former President, George W. Bush. In fact, President Bush leaves with some of the lowest approval ratings in polling history. As of January 16, Real Clear Politics has the 43rd president with a disapproval rating of over 65%. Ouch! That has got to hurt. Fortunately for President Bush and the rest of us, though, approval ratings do not a man make.

I personally am unhappy with some of the actions taken by President Bush. I am very disappointed that government spending increased during his presidency; that the size of the federal government and its influence in our daily lives actually increased. I am even more disturbed at his approach to the current financial mess. To hear a United States President say that he is “abandoning free market principals to save the free market” is more than saddening.

However, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment and acknowledge the good he has done. I have not been herded into the media induced, maniacal hatred for President Bush. Consequently, I am capable of seeing some things as they really are, and not how they appear through I-Hate-Bush spectacles. Therefore, as a matter of honor and respect, I have taken this opportunity to send the former president home with my personal heartfelt appreciation.

Thank you, President Bush, for keeping us safe. Thank you for seeing the enemy for what it is – a psychopathic group of crazies hell-bent on destroying anything that disagrees with it, in particular Judaism and Western civilization. Thank you for taking the fight to our enemy’s backyard, far from the borders of our blessed nation. Thank you for not putting your faith in the UN, but in the ability of this great nation to accomplish good in the world. Thank you for being proactive in the fight against terrorism, even in the face of global criticism. Thank you for allowing me to keep more of what I earn. Thank you for valuing the life of the unborn and taking a moral stance on social issues.

What I admire most about you, though, is that you did all this at the risk of political image. I admire you for not putting your finger in the wind to make decisions. I admire you for sticking to your principles in spite of a rabid and foaming media who had devoted its every thought to tearing your presidency and its image to shreds. I admire you for having the guts to stand up to UN sloth and European effeminacy. I admire you for ignoring the NY Times Editorial Board. I admire you for ultimately sticking to correct principles of safety and security. Thank you for sacrificing yourself to protect the freedoms which allow negative poll numbers to be published. We all, even your political enemies, owe you a debt of gratitude, whether they have the honor to acknowledge it or not.

I salute you, sir. I salute you.

So, while the left pushes for your imprisonment, while the media continues to malign and marginalize you, and while the self-anointed elitists of Washington, Hollywood, and academia persist in scorning you, I will hold you in esteem for placing my and my family’s safety ahead of your approval ratings. Thank you, sir. And again, I salute you.

President George W. Bush, God bless you and yours.