I understand your point about GWB, though again, timing and context are important. The Iran hostage crisis and the failed rescue attempt did real damage to the public’s perception of the competence of the Carter administration. Bush did indeed bring us into two wars, though it is extremely likely that any administration would have done the same in Afghanistan after the hijackings (and it would have been supported by the public). Iraq was the war of choice. And of course, by November 2004, neither one had deteriorated as badly as they would later on. So Americans didn’t view them as they would in 2008. Regarding timing, if Hurricane Katrina had hit in 2004 instead of 2005, GWB might not have been reelected; that damaged his administration badly. But it didn’t, and we got four more years of him.
This is ancient history for the average American voter and for many politicians.