Truman biographer David McCullough warns that about 50 years must pass before historians can really appraise a presidency. But one decade after Truman left office, the Marshall Plan and the NATO alliance were already seen as solid accomplishments.
杜鲁门传记作家戴维·麦卡洛警告历史学家，需要50年时间才能真正评价一个总统。但杜鲁门离职十年后，马歇尔计划和北约联盟已经被视为不可撼动的成就。布什并没有类似的成功可以弥补他在伊拉克的失误。