DALLAS TX


was marked by aerie peaks and sharp valleys. There was the “W” who stood fearlessly atop the rubble at Ground Zero, grasping a bullhorn and reassuring a mournful nation: “I hear you, the American people hear you, and the people who brought these buildings down will hear from all of us soon.” Then, against the advice of his Joint Chiefs of Staff ,


BUILDING HISTORY Clockwise: George W. Bush of iciates at the topping off of the George W. Bush Presidential Center; architectual layout; the Rose Garden on the grounds.


and in the face of bitter salvos launched by his politi- cal enemies, Bush stood virtually alone against offi cial Washington in implementing the counterinsurgency surge strategy in Iraq that was ultimately credited with dealing a devastating blow to al-Qaida there. Bush managed to largely avoid the second-term


scandals that ensnared so many of his predecessors. Yet when he left offi ce, his popularity had been so damaged by the drum-beat of adversity that the phrase “Bush fatigue” had entered the popular lexicon. In what seemed to be a confi rmation of Jeff erson’s pes- simistic truism, Bush’s job approval rating by the time he left offi ce had dipped way into the 20s.


58 NEWSMAX | MAY 2013


Today, some 4 1/2 years after leaving offi ce, the na-


tion’s 43rd president has achieved a remarkable come- back. Even as the current occupant of the Oval Offi ce spent much of his fi rst term making Bush a scapegoat for the nation’s problems, the eldest son of George H.W. and Barbara Bush showed discipline and grace by keeping as low a profi le as possible in deference to his successor. His book Decision Points opened as a No. 1 The New


York Times best-seller and sold over 2 million copies within two months of its November 2010 release. Opinion polls showed a steady rise in his standing


among voters, with 47 percent giving him a favorable approval rating by December 2010. As former adviser Mark McKinnon, who co-found-


ed the No Labels think tank dedicated to political problem-solving, tells Newsmax: “President Bush has been diplomatic and gracious since leaving offi ce. And as Americans view him through the lens of history and compare him to modern presidents who struggle to meet the challenges of the 21st century, President Bush’s tenure will continue to look better and better. It’s happening faster than anyone thought.”


MODEL/DAVID WOO/THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS / BUSH/TOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES GARDEN/COURTESY OF GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CENTER


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