Adieu, Mr. George W. Bush!

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The derailment of the US economy under the leadership of President George W. Bush
Cartoon © Ujjal Peter D'Costa

US President George W. Bush's eight-year presidency is over. The newly-elected President Barack Obama is already sitting on the saddle and has started his four-year leadership and administrative journey since yesterday among unprecedented fanfare and public adulation. President Bush came to power facing controversy over improper voting and left his power amidst more controversies over his failed policies and mismanaged actions.

President Bush had received worldwide support over his global war on terror after the September 11, 2001 destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York. Then one by one he began to take decisions and actions that failed miserably.

His most irresponsible decision was the unplanned and baseless war on Iraq. That very action was the beginning of his undoing. His empire then began to fall with domino effect. His government's amateurish handling of the Hurrcane Katrina destruction and lack of proper oversight of the financial institutions leading to massive crisis will remain as a blot on his administration. All these made the Americans gradually withdraw their support from him and ultimately attracted them to Barack Obama's promise of change and appropriate action plan for the futue.

President Bush vs. President Obama: A Bird's-Eye View

Now let's see these two persons and how they relate to each other:

President Bush: A native of the State of Texas
President Obama: A native of the State of Hawaii

President Bush: A Republican
President Obama: A Democrat

President Bush: A White
President Obama: A Biracial (half-black and half-white)

President Bush: Aged 55 years at the time of his first inauguration as the President (January 20, 2001)
President Obama: Aged 48 years at his inauguration on January 20, 2009

President Bush: Inherited a surplus budget and strong economy from previous administration of President Clinton
President Obama: Inherited a deficit budget and the weakest economy

President Bush: From affluent family background
President Obama: From middle-class family background

President Bush: Reactive personality
President Obama: Sensitive personality

President Bush: From an integrated family
President Obama: From a broken family (absent father, single mother)

President Bush: Secretive and inward looking
President Obama: Open and outgoing

President Bush: Media averse
President Obama: Media friendly

President Bush: Inarticulate speaker
President Obama: Eloquent speaker

President Bush: Anti-abortion, anti-same-sex marriage, anti-embryonic stem-cell research
President Obama: Pro-abortion, pro-same-sex marriage, pro-embryonic stem-cell research

President Bush: Pro-engagement, pro-war
President Obama: Pro-dialogue, pro-negotiation

President Bush: Pessimistic attitude
President Obama: Positive attitude

President Bush: A non-author
President Obama: An author of two autobiographical books

President Bush: Old style politics, encompassing the middle-aged to elderly persons
President Obama: New style politics, encompassing the young, middle-aged and elderly persons