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Although he
is the grandson and son of two giants of the political world,
most profiles of the president portray him as a young man disinterested
in politics.
Drawn more
to business and baseball, Mr. Bush is said to have drifted into
campaigns, not running for a public office until his 1994 bid
for governor. But that assessment ignores a long personal history
of working on political campaigns. Starting at the age of 17,
he worked on his father's unsuccessful run for Senate. Later he
worked as a full-time staffer on two other Senate campaigns in
Florida and Alabama.
By 1978, a
31-year-old George Bush was ready to stop working on campaigns
and start running himself -- mounting a run for the U.S. House
seat from the Lubbock, Texas area. Although he cited the energy
policies of President Carter as one of the main reasons for his
initial entry into politics, the president also recognized he
was entering the family business.
"There is
a passing on of tradition, passing on legacy, passing on responsibility,"
The New York Times quoted Mr. Bush as telling historian Herbert
Parmet in 1995. "So I don't think it's a conscious effort. I don't
think it's any of this thing, you know, 'By God, young man, if
you play your cards right you, too, may end up in politics.' It's
more of an inherent trait."
But for the
future president, his entry into politics was far from smooth.
Having returned to Texas only two years earlier from Harvard Business
School, he faced a withering criticism of his upbringing. First
his primary opponent and later his Democratic rival labeled the
son of the Republican National Committee chairman a carpetbagger.
"In 1961,
when [Democratic candidate] Kent Hance graduated from Dimmitt
High School in the 19th congressional district, his opponent George
W. Bush was attending Andover Academy in Massachusetts. In 1965,
when Kent Hance graduated from Texas Tech, his opponent was at
Yale University," one particularly devastating radio ad went.
"And while Kent Hance graduated from the University of Texas Law
School, his opponents -- get this folks -- was attending Harvard.
We don't need someone from the Northeast telling us what are problems
are."
Despite the
criticism, Mr. Bush ran an energetic race, but in the end came
up short -- losing to Hance in the general election 53 percent
to 47 percent. Hance later commented that President Bush took
several key lessons from the campaign that affected his future
runs for Texas governor and president.
"He wasn't
going to be out-Christianed or out-good-old-boyed again. He's
going to be the good old boy next door," Hance told The New York
Times in 2000, adding that he would also fight back if attacked.
It was also
during this campaign that he became reacquainted with Laura Welch.
The librarian from Midland and the oil man had a whirlwind courtship
of three months and were married in 1977.
For many friends
and relatives, Laura Bush receives much of the credit for helping
ground her husband. She is also credited with helping the future
president give up drinking.
"He had been
working towards it for a long time," Laura Bush told The Washington
Post in 1999. "I think for a year at least he'd been thinking,
'I really need to slow down or quit.' Most people who try to quit
drinking first think, 'Well, I'm just going to have one drink.'
And I think in his mind he thought, 'Well, that's what I'll do.'
And then, of course, it didn't really work. Like
for everybody, just about, who tries, it doesn't really work."
Although no
one has accused Mr. Bush of being an alcoholic, many are quoted
as saying his social drinking was at times heavy and often sparked
confrontations with family members and others.
In 1985, Mr.
Bush met the Rev. Billy Graham at his parents' home in Kennebunkport,
Maine. They discussed religion and faith for several hours. It
was a conversation that, coupled with Laura's support, led to
his decision to give up drinking.
Then, in 1986,
following his 40th birthday party, George W. Bush swore off alcohol
and has not had a drink since. For Mr. Bush it was as much a testament
to his renewed religious faith as it was a lifestyle choice. "If
you change your heart, you can change your behavior," Mr. Bush
told the Post.
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By Lee Banville, Online NewsHour |
