Until these last three weeks, I always considered George W. Bush to be the worst president of my lifetime.
Now, obviously, that has changed. But why?
Like Donald Trump, Bush appointed a bunch of ideologues to key positions. Like Trump, Bush ignored environmental protections. Like Trump, Bush hired people who fought to give the executive branch as much concentrated power as humanly possible. Like Trump, Bush said many things that failed to pass the truth test.
So, again, why is Donald Trump so much worse than George W. Bush? Here’s the answer—and it’s an odd one for an atheistic Jewish guy to say: Bush believed Jesus Christ was his Lord and Savior.
Read that again if you must: For good and for bad, George W. Bush believed Jesus Christ was his Lord and Savior. He owned it, lived it, wore it on his sleeve. He sees God as this entity of all importance, and considers his word to be the word. And yes, I think that’s silly. And, perhaps, moronic. But at least Bush is trying to do right. Trump believes in … nothing. Or, the equal of nothing—himself. He was clearly an indifferent father, an unfaithful husband, a callous businessman. He has never been charitable, gracious, empathetic, kind, decent. It’s about one person, and only one person—Donald Trump.
So, yes, George W. Bush was a dreadful president. But at least his heart seemed to be in the right place, even if his mind lacked.
Trump—no such luck. He’s a pure scoundrel.
