This was provoked by the yammering yahoos who are clamoring to place their preferred narratives in front of reality, e.g., Bush as War President again. I am surprised how they have been so effective in mudging the story over the years. Now if you think of him at all, you might have in mind his strutting like a peacock aboard the USS Lincoln in his little flight suit.
It wasn't like that. Really, it wasn't.
A nation, like an individual, can have short and long term memory loss. Here, let me help.
Briefly, on 9-11 the War President was placed in a box like Howdy Doody throughout the long day while his Clarabell and Buffalo Bob rambled about the studio and tried to appear in charge of mighty events - which were all over before they even woke up to the trouble. Even the righteous right columnists on that day were wondering just where was their feckless leader at this critical time in our history.
Try and imagine the Kennedys during the Cuban Missle or Berlin crises, or even the Bay of Pigs, hiding under a bed while the staff took over the controls. Try to imagine any Repugnant since Eisenhower actually making a good choice and ramming it home.
Eisenhower was the last effective Republican president, in my opinion, if you consider his prior experience. He led the allies to victory in WWII, so he draws a pass on the fifties, which he didn't actually cause. He didn't do much about McCarthyism, unless you count an invisible hand in the humiliation and the death by alcohol of that fiend.
It's sometimes helpful to remember the Repugs are in politics solely to retain, sustain, and maintain growing wealth in the hands of the wealthy. No other single needle will thread all the beads of their necklace. And actually doing something for the nation they pretend to be so concerned about, well, as they might say in private, it ain't their job.