President Bush is confident that he will be viewed more favorably in the long view of history than he has been recently. He may be right. From Gallup, here are the approval ratings of post-WWII presidents upon leaving office:
Certainly President Truman was viewed more favorably in the long run, although he didn't live to see it. Whatever one thinks of President Clinton, it's probably a safe bet that the long-term view of him will not be at the top of this list. However, the long view of Eisenhower is consistent with the short view. LBJ's very mixed record of the triumph of the Civil Rights Act and the disaster of Vietnam warrants maintaining his middle-of-the-pack rating.
Only time will tell.
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