Life and Presidency of George Walker Bush

George Walker Bush better known as George W. Bush was the 43 president. Bush was elected as president in 2001. He stayed president until 2009. George Walker Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 6, 1946.Bush was the oldest child of 6 children in the family. When he was in seventh grade, Bush ran for class president and won. His family was very wealthy and connected to some important people because of this, Bush was accepted into yale.

“Although George W. became actively involved in sports, playing baseball, basketball, and football, his high school academic record was far from exceptional. However, through his family’s powerful connections, Bush landed a spot at Yale University in Connecticut, where both his father and grandfather had attended.” At Yale, Bush was a pretty popular student. He was president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and enjoyed socializing, and watching and playing football. Grades weren’t a high priority, and because of his bad behavior, Bush had a few minor run-ins with the law.

In 1978, following his family’s distinguished tradition of public service, George W. Bush made his first run for political office to be U.S. Representative of the 19th district in Texas. He lost that race to Kent Hance. In 1994, Bush once again ran for public office and was elected the 46th Governor of Texas. Governor Bush won re-election in 1998 with nearly 69% of the vote, becoming the first Governor in Texas history to be elected to two consecutive four-year terms.

“When his father lost to Bill Clinton (1946–) in the 1992 presidential race, George W. decided to try for political office once again. His status as the most well-known owner of the Rangers and as the son of a former president gave him an advantage as he campaigned for governor of Texas. He won the 1994 election, defeating incumbent governor Ann Richards. Bush had an early lead, but his opponent, Democratic vice president Al Gore (1948–), bounced back. The media focused on Bush’s tendencies to misuse words in speeches. Meanwhile, Gore, an experienced foreign diplomat and two-time vice president, criticized Bush for his weaknesses with foreign policy. Voting day came and went with no clear winner. Problems with ballots in several counties in Florida prompted ballot recounts. Weeks later, after a five-to-four decision of the U.S. Supreme Court ended the recounts, Bush finally emerged as the winner.

“As Election Day unfolded, there was no clear winner. The late-night news declared one candidate the winner, then the other the winner. By early the next morning, Bush had 246 electoral votes and Gore had 255, with 270 needed to win. Florida’s 25 electoral votes were held in the balance where several counties reported problems with balloting. After more than a month of recounts and legal maneuvering, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the election, giving George Bush the victory.” Fewer than nine months into office, Bush’s leadership skills were tested like no other president before him. On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four U.S. jetliners, crashing one into Pennsylvania, another into the Pentagon building outside Washington, D.C., and two into the World Trade Center buildings in New York City (twin towers). The tragedy, which killed thousands and destroyed the World Trade Center, prompted Bush to announce a “War on Terrorism.” The new war became the focus of Bush’s presidency.