A Great Eight Years

On Tuesday, January 20th the much awaited Age of Obama will finally begin. I wonder what is more eagerly awaited though, Obama's entrance to the Oval Office or Bush's exit. The past 8 years have been eventful to say the least. The fiasco in Florida and Fox calling the election for Bush seems like it happened a decade ago. And it did. Since then we've seen a President holidaying on his ranch, 9/11, Enron & WorldCom, Taliban and Al Qaeda, Mullah Mohammad Omar and Osama Bin Laden, an Axis of Evil, non-existent weapons of mass destruction, a President clearing brush on his ranch, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, a Vice President shooting friends in the face, drilling in Alaska, a financial boom that made billions, Katrina, water-boarding, a financial meltdown that lost trillions and a President driving a pick-up trick on his ranch. I have missed plenty I'm sure but it still gives a flavour of what my generation has grown up with.

I don't believe we would look forward to Obama if the last eight years hadn't been such a great roller-coaster ride. Maybe Bush garnered so many votes in 2000 because the Clinton years had been relatively boring what with the Cold War over and no real global competition. Bush took the world out of the staid 90s and led us stumbling through the defining 00s. Perhaps, history needs us to shake up once in a while and go through some life altering period of time just to make things interesting again. It gives us something to talk about and lets the youth be cynical with a vengeance. It created a strong divide between those who agreed with Bush's policies both economic and foreign and those who consider them foolish.

Sadly, the debate is ending with most people lined up against Bush now. But as the man finally recedes into the shadows with the lowest approval ratings since the beginning of time, let us pay him some well won tributes. His facial expressions were always classic and his faux pas are legendary. He has spawned at least 2 films (that I know of) during his time in the White House. The Daily Show and Colbert Report thrived off his work. Spare a thought for the likes of Chester A. Arthur or James Garfield, such boring men that we barely know who they are. They are not judged by history at all. Bush once said that history will judge him and it seems it will do so cruelly (though justly). There are enough indictments against him and many more that will be made but let us not forget Bush gave us eight years of entertainment with at least a few more to follow thanks to his hard work. For that, I tip my hat to President Bush and look forward to the next American President that frustrates us and makes us laugh in equal measures, and one who drives us to search and discover hope again.