The More Disastrous Presidency: George W. Bush vs. Boris N. Yeltsin

Let's see when the Apocalypse occurs first.

Just to start things off:
1. Yelstin: Foils revisionist coup, secures democracy, and free market for Russia. Subsequently starts disastrous cycle of violence in Checnhya, presides over impoverishment of Russian citizenry, gives away billions in dollars in state assets to handful of people to ensure himself a second term, hands over presidency to man who proves to be autocrat and reverses most of the freedoms he previously "secured," in exchange for freedom from prosecution.

2. Bush: Topples Taliban (at least temporarily) and immeasurably improves life of most Afghanis. Busts up chain of terrorist training camps. Subsequently pursues wrong-footed war that creates new terrorist training camps, undermines worldwide status of USA and degrades the word "democracy." Introduces range of measures that reduce civil liberties in America. Runs up huge deficit.

Hard to compare.

The USA started Bush's term in hugely better shape than Russia was in when Yeltsin took over. However, given how low things were to begin with, Yeltsin had a lot more room for making obvious, lasting improvements and instead made a total wreck of things. Yeltsin also had far fewer ways to quell the chaos.

Bush has done his harm to a society that had far more coherent institutions and far more resiliency and so hasn't been able to wreck nearly as much as he'd like. Bush would love to impose all kinds of religious crap on the USA and isn't able to, thank god (irony intended).

If Bush had been handed Yeltsin's problems, and Yeltsin were handed Bush's, I think Bush would still wreck Russia in three winks, while Yeltsin would have just been somewhat ineffective, incoherent and irrelevant. On this imagined basis, I will vote for Bush.