# Obama and Bush: What makes "competence" in a President?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-bush-what-makes-competence-in-a-president/489105>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 11, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-bush-what-makes-competence-in-a-president/489105 "2009-03-11T19:18:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 29

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**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-bush-what-makes-competence-in-a-president/489105/29 "2009-03-13T03:52:04Z")

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> [@Frostillicus](#):
>
> To me, competance can be measured in the little things, like say, not starting a trillion dollar war with a country that was no threat to you, just to think of one example.

Well, if Obama doesn’t screw the pooch, a lasting democracy in Iraq would do a lot to stabilize the region and reduce terrorism in the long run. But we can’t have that, can we? Then future historians might look upon Bush as a visionary. No, we will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, just like Viet-Nam, and the ensuing bloodbath will never be blamed on those responsible, the left in the United States.

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