Was George W. Bush really smart? or are the rest of us especially liberals just really dumb?

He got elected. This in itself gives him something. I do not think he was an effective President because his first term was all about our safety. His second term was halted by the majority of Democrats in Congress and Senate which really tide his administrations hands from being constructive. But, I must say during those last 2 years his administration was not watching close enough to halt the checks being written by congress to set up this current President with the socialist type of government we are leading into.