Let it never be said that George W. Bush did not accomplish anything during his presidency. He has snagged the top two placings in TV's most memorable moments. Of all time. Your average, run of the mill incompetent could never manage such a feat.
In order to prove the continuing relevance of the medium of television (in the age of social media) Nielsen and Sony Electronics jointly conducted a survey examining the most 'universally impactful' events that have been shown on TV.
The top two events are, the 9/11 tragedy and the Katrina Hurricane. What these two events have in common, other than making the list, is that they both occurred on George W. Bush's watch. And, that if he had been doing his job, they might not have happened.
To rate the events, the survey asked such questions as 'do you remember where you were' when you heard about it, and whether people remembered discussing it with others. So, events like JFK's assasination fell to the bottom of the list.
But President Obama also has an event that made the list - the killing of Osama bin Laden. His event, of course, is a historic achievement, whereas GWB's are tragedies that will be remembered in his personal hall of shame. Further, Bush took his failure in 9/11 and managed to turn it around and exploit it for his political benefit, as though he had accomplished something. As someone who watched the towers burn and crash in real time and not as a 'televised event', this feat of political leger de main still leaves me in disbelief.
On the other hand, any reference to the killing of bin Laden is quickly downplayed by Republicans as an accomplishment of Obama's, and to loud and anguished cries of political exploitation.
The survey results prove these incidents are still fresh in voter's minds. Hopefully voters will remember in the voting booth if they are considering the installation of GWB, Part Duh.
The top twenty results:
1. Sept. 11 tragedy (2001)
2. Hurricane Katrina (2005)
3. O.J. Simpson verdict (1995)
4. Challenger space shuttle disaster (1986)
5. Death of Osama bin Laden (2011)
6. O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase (1994)
7. Earthquake in Japan (2011)
8. Columbine High School shootings (1999)
9. BP oil spill (2010)
10. Princess Diana's funeral (1997)
11. Death of Whitney Houston (2012)
12. Capture and execution of Saddam Hussein (2006)
13. Barack Obama's acceptance speech (2008)
14. The Royal Wedding (2011)
15. Assassination of John F. Kennedy (1963)
16. Oklahoma City bombing (1995)
17. Bush/Gore election results (2000)
18. L.A. riots (1992)
19. Casey Anthony verdict (2011)
20. Funeral of John F. Kennedy (1963)