A World of One Person (Perspective on Bush)

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Features: Bush possessed a very calm and composed demeanor. Even after 9/11, he did not change his daily habits: still going to bed between 9:30 and 10:00 PM, waking up at 5:30 AM, maintaining a seven-and-a-half-hour sleep; still eating lunch leisurely, leaving the Oval Office around 6:00 PM, and then exercising on a stationary bike; still running in the Camp David area, almost every week, and always leaving the White House early on Friday afternoons, inviting friends along; during weekends, he still invited friends to dine at the White House; in the evenings, he often set aside time to read, often unrelated to current affairs, with novels and history alike. His mindset had a strong suggestive effect on those around him and the general public, making them feel that everything was under control and nothing could threaten America's stability and prosperity. It was precisely this confidence and optimism that kept the public shopping happily and the economy recovering rapidly.
When discussing the 2004 U.S. presidential election, a Democrat made a remark that was quite surprising: "The Democrats have almost no chance of winning." In his view, although Democrats found an opportunity after the Iraq War, they could hardly pose a threat to Bush's re-election. When it comes to Bush's advantages, many people might think of counter-terrorism, the economy, and even Saddam's capture as key keywords. However, in reality, even when the U.S. was entangled in the Iraq quagmire, facing severe counter-terrorism challenges, and experiencing an economic downturn, Bush's approval ratings remained high. Many voters seemed to ignore those negative factors—why is that? It is undeniable that Bush had a relatively low IQ. A study by the University of Pennsylvania found that Bush's IQ was 91, half of his predecessor Clinton's (182), and the lowest among U.S. presidents in the past 50 years. Senior Bush was only slightly higher, at 98, and in the 12 U.S. presidents over the past half-century, only the Bush had IQs below 100. Yet, he had an exceptionally high emotional intelligence, which was truly his winning formula. Whether in terms of cooperation, leadership, or personal charm, Bush was no inferior to some outstanding leaders, especially after 9/11, when his qualities were fully demonstrated and became key to winning public support.
Bush's approachability was a topic frequently discussed by the media. Some media outlets had reported on Bush's awkward performances, and even his slip-ups had become international jokes. However, somewhat unexpectedly, Bush's lack of pretense and occasional clumsiness brought him closer to the public, making people feel he was a real person—superior in some ways but also ordinary. Moreover, throughout his political career, Bush had a strong reputation for being down-to-earth: when he was governor, he would often stay for an hour after giving commencement speeches, shaking hands with every graduate; at community gatherings, he would talk to each of the hundreds of people who came to see him; whenever passing through a hotel kitchen or the back entrance of a building, he would stop to chat with chefs, guards, and elevator operators; after disasters like floods, hurricanes, fires, and terrorist attacks, he would rush to hug the affected people, comfort them, and bring them a sense of security. He always smiled, shook hands endlessly, and over time, he built a close connection with the public, and most people who had met him believed his feelings were genuine.
Bush's optimistic attitude also gave the public a sense of stability. Even in school, he had earned a reputation as a cheerful, optimistic, and witty person, drawing attention. Unlike other students, Bush never tried to compete for honors in school but stood out through his sharp wit and ability to praise others. In high school, he became the school's leader, organizing weekend assemblies, founding the junior baseball league, and serving as its president. At Yale University, the deepest impression he left on his classmates was not his intellect or energy but his broad approachability. To meet more people, he would even stay up late memorizing student registration lists. Understanding that people need praise, respect, and recognition, he was able to unite many others found difficult to unite. Despite the fact that almost everyone around him was highly capable, he had a way of making them submit.
Bush also possessed a very calm and composed demeanor, even after 9/11, he did not change his daily habits: still going to bed between 9:30 and 10:00 PM, waking up at 5:30 AM, maintaining a seven-and-a-half-hour sleep; still eating lunch leisurely, leaving the Oval Office around 6:00 PM, and then exercising on a stationary bike; still running in the Camp David area, almost every week, and always leaving the White House early on Friday afternoons, inviting friends along; during weekends, he still invited friends to dine at the White House; in the evenings, he often set aside time to read, often unrelated to current affairs, with novels and history alike. His mindset had a strong suggestive effect on those around him and the general public, making them feel that everything was under control and nothing could threaten America's stability and prosperity. It was precisely this confidence and optimism that kept the public shopping happily and the economy recovering rapidly.
What's more, Bush possessed a magical ability to paint inspiring future blueprints, which made him excel after 9/11. During those difficult days, Bush not only showed his role as a commander-in-chief but also that of an advertiser, comforter, and motivator. He repeatedly told Americans that terrorist attacks would not defeat the U.S. and that America would stand up even more brilliantly. Despite Bush's many imperfections and his foreign policy's unpopularity internationally, at least domestically, many people still preferred to believe he could bring safety and economic recovery to the U.S., placing their trust in him far more than in Democrats. Another advantage he had over his opponents was that he had a father who had been president. Senior Bush not only gave Junior Bush courage, advice, and connections but also left him with painful lessons. After studying his father's mistakes, Junior Bush had almost no chance of repeating them.
Bush's perseverance was also astonishing. Looking back at history, we can see that many successful leaders shared a common trait: extreme self-reliance, and Bush was no exception—he was a highly self-assured, stubborn person who disliked those who did not stand with him on key issues and absolutely believed in his own correctness. It could be said that he trusted his judgment completely. Bush's such tenacity and clear-cut personality had a significant impact on the formulation of U.S. foreign policy. His strong religious beliefs and intense sense of destiny made it very easy for him to accept the idealism of neoconservatism. The Bush administration we saw was indeed a very hawkish government, from Cheney, Rumsfeld to Wolfowitz, Bolton—each was a powerful figure with deep working and ideological ties. Leveraging the 9/11 crisis, the hawks rose to prominence and achieved great success. With the hawks as a strong driving force and neoconservatism as a powerful "spiritual weapon," Bush's global strategy became increasingly assertive and unstoppable, though his ideas and strategies were mocked as "clinging to a 25th-century liberal ideal while employing 1st-century Roman imperial methods."
In fact, since the 1990s, U.S. power has gradually shown absolute superiority, and its global strategy has revealed a "take-no-prisoners" attitude. Under the specific circumstances of 9/11 and with the active efforts of Bush and his team, the U.S. became even stronger and "unrestrained." However, time would eventually make the Bush administration realize the limitations of U.S. power. Although the U.S. could exert influence over the entire world in terms of both power and diplomatic systems, it also possessed unexpected vulnerabilities and lacked the ability to rule the world alone.