Since school is now in session and students will soon be evaluated, it seems like a good time to evaluate our commander in chief. Below are a number of issues against which the president is measured, based on his performance over nearly four years in office.Foreign Affairs. This is one of the most crucial duties of a president, to represent our country internationally and secure good-will and economic and security agreements.Grade F. The president has alienated our allies and emboldened our enemies, not only through initiating a war rationalized by distorted evidence (called “pre-emptive” but not so since Saddam had no intention to attack us), but also in pushing forward a myopic agenda without considering our partners. America is now held in lower esteem than at any time of our history. This does not bode well for our future.On Uniting the Country. For our country to be successful, it is essential that the country stands united on issues crucial to our economy and health. Mr. Bush pledged in 2000 that he was “a uniter,” and that one of his priorities was to unite us as one nation.Grade F. Our country is as divided as at the height of the Vietnam war in the late 1960s. The president and his administration are the most partisan in a generation.On Fiscal Responsibility. Every president should safeguard the fiscal health of the country and avoid excessive deficits.Grade F. The president has added nearly 1 trillion dollars to the national deficit in only two years, a figure that exceeds any four-year period in history. President Bush inherited record budget surpluses and quickly turned them into record deficits. As a businessman, Mr. Bush went bankrupt several times, losing investors millions. Now he’s doing it at the national level losing us trillions, and guess which generation will have to pay it off.On Job Growth. Every president must promote job growth to maintain families, fuel the economy, keep sufficient tax monies flowing into national and state coffers, and advance general well-being.Grade F. Nearly 3 million jobs have been lost and this is the first administration to lose jobs in over 50 years.On a Manageable government. This used to be an important issue to Republicans, who have always feared big government. Smaller government generally means greater individual freedom and responsibility.Grade F. The government is far larger than at any time in our history, and may grow even bigger to scrutinize our actions in the name of fighting terrorism.On Securing the Environment. Whether we want to or not, we all have to live in the environment – to breath air, drink water, enjoy the outdoors and recreation and so forth.Grade F. The administration has allowed big businesses to develop environmental policies; thus we have greater pesticide and arsenic levels in our water, more pollutants in our air, fewer pristine forests, etc.. Greater health problems lie ahead.On the general economy. The whole measurement on goods produced and purchased and growth of markets and jobs.Grade D. Here the president does a little better. Reducing taxes has helped spur some growth, though new jobs are again declining and growth has leveled off. More people, however, have fallen into poverty and bankruptcies are at a new high. Thus, even here, where the president should be strong, there is nothing to celebrate.Whatever your politics, and whatever they say at the convention, a .142 GPA just doesn’t cut it, and Mr. Bush has no clear plans to improve this evaluation. It will take a new president to raise our GPA. You have a chance to make this happen on November 2.