A theme underlying many posts lately has been the capacity of the average American to absorb and process information. The issue has been raised repeatedly because so many Americans still believe that Sadam had something to do with 9/11, and that weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. Posters have also questioned what is going on the minds of the 36% or so of Americans who still support Bush.
Well, my friends, let's get in the way back machine and travel back to early 2002, just months after 9/11.
At the time, ABC News sponsored a poll asking Americans who were the greatest presidents in American history. George W. Bush was third:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/poll020221_president.htmlPresidential Standings
George W. Bush Debuts at Third on Nation's Greatest-President List
By Gary Langer
N E W Y O R K, Feb. 18 — George W. Bush takes the bronze in his debut on the nation's greatest-president list, boosted by a strong vote from the Republican judges. A more venerable Republican, Abraham Lincoln, wins the gold, with the silver medal to John F. Kennedy.
An ABCNEWS.com poll finds those are the standings when Americans are asked to name the country's greatest president. Aside from Bush's sudden arrival, the biggest change is a 10-point drop in Ronald Reagan's position, from first place on Presidents Day last year, when 18 percent picked him, to a tie with Bill Clinton and Franklin D. Roosevelt for fourth place this year.
Reagan lost ground as Republicans in particular cited Bush, who's been riding an extraordinary wave of public approval for his response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Among Republicans, Bush finishes numerically first as the greatest president. Among independents he's third, and among Democrats he's fifth.
...
Basically this showed that American have no historical consciousness and basically any president they could remember -- and they remembered recent presidents -- got a vote. I like the Big Dog as much as the next DUer, but come on -- was Clinton greater than George Washington or Thomas Jefferson? Three of the four most recent presidents were on the list -- the exception being the hapless Poppy, who is probably better remembered by the history-challenged more for throwing up on the Japanese prime minister than his diplomacy.
And John F. Kennedy was certainly charismatic and showed great promise, but besides being assassinated, he hardly had time to make any grand historical contributions.
My, things have changed. I don't know what his greatness ratings would be now, but at least we know his approval ratings have him hovering around Nixon territory.
PS, on edit: If you Google George Bush greatest president, 95% of the results are sarcastic, ironic uses of the term. Almost no one except the truly brainwashed even pretend to believe this now.
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