Until the democrat party controlled congress had been working against the USA, those Bush years were very good. People of median incomes were living like upper middle class. Then the NSDP passed a minimum wage law and immediately after, youth unemployment doubled by June.
Also, the recession was declared over in May 2009. All things considered, I would rather live in a USA with AAA credit rating, 6 trillion dollars less in debt, 700+ fewer dead in Afghanistan, less government regulation, better race relations, and the prosperity of the GW Bush years. But hey, that's just me.