41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush

Author:George W. Bush
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Crown
Published: 2014-11-10T16:00:00+00:00

THE ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE

WHEN LEE ATWATER SUGGESTED that I move to Washington to help in Dad’s campaign, I was intrigued. The timing seemed right. I had just merged my oil business into a larger company. I was interested in exploring other opportunities. And there was no better cause: George Bush would make a great President.

I also knew that Dad would need all the help that he could get. My father and I both love history, and the history of Vice Presidents seeking the presidency did not provide much hope. Dad was up against the Van Buren factor: Not since Martin Van Buren defeated William Henry Harrison in 1836 had any Vice President been elected to follow the man who had selected him.

When I arrived at the campaign in the fall of 1986, Lee Atwater asked what title I wanted. I consulted with Dad, who told me that I didn’t need a title. After all, I already had the title of son. His point was that proximity to power is power. He was right. Everyone involved in the campaign knew that I could talk to the candidate at any time, and that was more valuable than a title. Proximity to power was also a reason that Mother and Laura were so effective throughout our careers. Everyone knew that my father and I spoke frequently to them and trusted their judgment. So when Mother or Laura had a request or a piece of advice, our aides were usually wise enough to comply.

I had no specific portfolio at the campaign. My duties included raising money, delivering surrogate speeches, encouraging volunteers, dealing with reporters (occasionally), fielding suggestions and complaints, and discussing strategy with Dad’s senior aides. I also took it upon myself to be a loyalty enforcer, ensuring that campaign staffers were there to serve George Bush and not their own interests. One memorable example involved Lee Atwater. Early in the campaign, Esquire magazine ran a profile of Lee in which he conducted part of the interview while using the restroom. The theme was that Lee was the bad boy of Republican politics—that he was so important to George Bush that he could get away with anything. I was furious. I told Lee that his job was to make George Bush look good, not make himself look good.

“By the way, if you think I’m mad,” I said, “you ought to hear what Mother says.”

Lee immediately apologized to Mother and toned down his public behavior.

—

IN THE FALL of 1986, it seemed that being Ronald Reagan’s Vice President would be a strong asset in the 1988 race. The President had been reelected in a nationwide landslide. But there’s a reality about every two-term presidency: Toward its end, Americans grow weary of the President. (Tell me about it!) The first signs of President Reagan’s slipping popularity came in the midterm elections of 1986. Republicans lost five seats in the House and eight in the Senate. For the first time in the Reagan presidency, Democrats had control of both houses of Congress.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.