A lot of people I know here on the other side of the Atlantic puddle do keep in mind the way Bush came to power and it does influence the way they refer to current events. i.e. a lot talk about what "Bush" is doing in Iraq, not about what "the Americans" are doing in Iraq.

But an election of Bush to the presidency can only be seen as tacit approval of what he has done for the past three years (and if Jeb gives him another hand, we would expect at least a bit of revolution this time ;) And then I share your fear that it will become "the Americans" in Iraq.