--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I liked George W. Bush, but his second…" description: "\"“I liked George W. Bush, but his second term was a disaster area. So was much of his first term. I don’t feel the necessity to defend his Iran policy, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/ben-shapiro-2718_george-bush_i-liked-george-w-bush-but-his-second-ter_1212210.png" --- # I liked George W. Bush, but his second term was a disaster… ![“I liked George W. Bush, but his second term was a disaster area. So was much of his first term. I don’t feel the necessity to defend his Iran policy, because it was terrible. Period. Ronald Reagan was not a god. He himself would have said that. Don’t follow people. Follow principle.” quote by Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/ben-shapiro-2718_george-bush_i-liked-george-w-bush-but-his-second-ter_1212210.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/ben-shapiro-2718_george-bush_i-liked-george-w-bush-but-his-second-ter_1212210.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/ben-shapiro-2718_george-bush_i-liked-george-w-bush-but-his-second-ter_1212210.png) > ““I liked George W. Bush, but his second term was a disaster area. So was much of his first term. I don’t feel the necessity to defend his Iran policy, because it was terrible. Period. Ronald Reagan was not a god. He himself would have said that. Don’t follow people. Follow principle.”” [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizes Bush and Reagan, urging principle over personality. **In simple terms:** Judge policies, not people. Key Takeaway Prioritize principles over leaders. Themes politics principles leadership criticism Mood critical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - public debates - policy formation Key Concepts policy analysis ethical reasoning Questions to Reflect On - What core principles guide your judgments? - How do you balance critique with constructive solutions? A Different Perspective Principles can be interpreted differently. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Whether or not you liked George W. Bush, there was no doubt about what position he was going to take, and that's what endeared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/whether-or-not-you-liked-george-w-bush-there-was-no-doubt-about-what/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [If we have George W. Bush as president, we're going to go back to the kind of policies we had when his father and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/if-we-have-george-w-bush-as-president-we-re-going-to-go-back-to-the/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [If the United States had maintained its spending under Ronald Reagan, it is possible that the attacks of 9/11 - presaged by Islamic terror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/if-the-united-states-had-maintained-its-spending-under-ronald-reagan/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Under no circumstances should we now ease our restrictions on arms sales to Iran. Such a policy reversal would be seen as inexplicably inconsistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/under-no-circumstances-should-we-now-ease-our-restrictions-on-arms/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If Iran has a policy of detaining dual nationals as a tool of diplomatic leverage, then there will be consequences for Iran. 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He signed it, 'Best wishes, Ronald Reagan.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/ronald-reagan-just-signed-the-new-tax-law-but-i-think-he-was-in/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Ronald Reagan's biographer wrote of the former president's final days: "for all the intimate familiarity of that face and body, I did not feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-morris/ronald-reagan-s-biographer-wrote-of-the-former-president-s-final-days/) Edwin Morris ## More by Ben Shapiro > [Musicians are, by and large, not the most politically savvy crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/musicians-are-by-and-large-not-the-most-politically-savvy-crew/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [No number of repairs will be able to fix Obamacare. The website is the least of Americans' worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/no-number-of-repairs-will-be-able-to-fix-obamacare-the-website-is-the/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Having children truly ends adolescence. We are all either parents or children: responsibility-takers or those who demand from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/having-children-truly-ends-adolescence-we-are-all-either-parents-or/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“No wonder the left seeks to avoid political debate at all costs. Why bother? 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They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [If Republicans triumph in 2014, it will undoubtedly be as a result of Obamacare. In 2010, Republicans soared to historic victory because the much-maligned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/if-republicans-triumph-in-2014-it-will-undoubtedly-be-as-a-result-of/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [In Britain, where the social safety net is more like a social swaddling cloth, crime rates other than murder are significantly higher than in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/in-britain-where-the-social-safety-net-is-more-like-a-social/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [When Americans are faced with the prospect that they can never earn their way to wealth, they have two choices: to rebel against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/when-americans-are-faced-with-the-prospect-that-they-can-never-earn/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [The Muslim world just doesn't believe that skin color is all that important. Obama may be half-black, but he's still all-Western, according to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/the-muslim-world-just-doesn-t-believe-that-skin-color-is-all-that/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Voluntary exchange is more moral than forced redistribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/voluntary-exchange-is-more-moral-than-forced-redistribution/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“This is what makes leftists leftists: an unearned sense of moral superiority over you. And if they can instill that sense of moral superiority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/this-is-what-makes-leftists-leftists-an-unearned-sense-of-moral/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Capitalism invariably boils down to barter between two willing parties, neither of whom uses force to work with the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/capitalism-invariably-boils-down-to-barter-between-two-willing/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) [Explore all 153 Ben Shapiro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) ## More George bush quotes > [This country was the moral leader of the world until George Bush became president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/this-country-was-the-moral-leader-of-the-world-until-george-bush/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [The president of the United States of North America, George W. Bush, the little gentleman of the North, the political cadaver that is visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/the-president-of-the-united-states-of-north-america-george-w-bush-the/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [George W. Bush did an incredible job in the presidency, defending us from freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/george-w-bush-did-an-incredible-job-in-the-presidency-defending-us/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [It's hard to believe President George Bush gave a speech in New Orleans about disaster recovery and failed to mention the word 'farm' or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hightower/it-s-hard-to-believe-president-george-bush-gave-a-speech-in-new/) [Jim Hightower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hightower/) > [You know, when George Bush talks about freedom not being America's gift to world but God's gift to all humankind, it smells like market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-klein/you-know-when-george-bush-talks-about-freedom-not-being-america-s/) [Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-klein/) > [It's kind of an unwritten law, I think, being - carrying the name - George Bush. At times I ask myself, 'Am I going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/it-s-kind-of-an-unwritten-law-i-think-being-carrying-the-name-george/) [George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/) > [When I finished graduate school, the first George Bush was president, and I really wanted to get out of the country. We'd just gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-king/when-i-finished-graduate-school-the-first-george-bush-was-president/) [Lily King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-king/) > [We've had parallel lives. And frankly, I prefer mine to his. I would not like to be George Bush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/we-ve-had-parallel-lives-and-frankly-i-prefer-mine-to-his-i-would-not/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [That's what I like to call him, "the current president." I find it difficult to say or type his name, George W. Bush. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/that-s-what-i-like-to-call-him-the-current-president-i-find-it/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [George W. Bush and his administration embarked on a full-scale assault on civil liberties, human rights and the rule of law, walking away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/george-w-bush-and-his-administration-embarked-on-a-full-scale-assault/) [Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/) > [George Bush has become something of an embarrassment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-snow/george-bush-has-become-something-of-an-embarrassment/) [Tony Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-snow/) > [President George H.W. Bush was a friend to so many of us and his loss will undoubtedly be felt deeply across the Granite State.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sununu/president-george-h-w-bush-was-a-friend-to-so-many-of-us-and-his-loss/) [Chris Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sununu/) > [I think George W. Bush has a warm, engaging personality. But, you know, the presidency is more than just a popularity contest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/i-think-george-w-bush-has-a-warm-engaging-personality-but-you-know/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [The BBC will always be attacked by whoever is in government. It is that George Bush thing of 'If you're not with us you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-norton/the-bbc-will-always-be-attacked-by-whoever-is-in-government-it-is/) [Graham Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-norton/) Browse all 338 George bush quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I liked George W. Bush, but his second term was a disaster area. So was much of his first term. I don’t feel the necessity to defend his Iran policy, because it was terrible. Period. Ronald Reagan was not a god. He himself would have said that. Don’t follow people. 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