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PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH.
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Examines the leadership skills of President Bush following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Examines the leadership skills of President Bush following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Argues that after the attacks, Bush responded well to the crisis, and displayed many of the skills and characteristics of an effective President. Discusses Bush's presidential leadership prior to 9/11. His response to the attacks. Cites examples.
Paper Introduction:
GEORGE W. BUSH AS PRESIDENTIAL LEADER
This research paper examines the capacity and skills of President George W. Bush (Bush) for leading the United States effectively during the crisis created by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington and related threats. Prior to the occurrence of the events of September 11, 2001, the extent of Bush's Presidential leadership potential was very much in doubt owing in large part to the public perception of him created during the recent presidential electoral campaign, the post-election dispute and Bush's performance during his first eight months in office. After a somewhat shaky start, Bush responded well to the crisis of September 11 and displayed many of the skills and characteristics of an effective President in dealing with the threat of
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The son of a former President George H.Bush, Bush gave the impression that in large measure his prominence was dueless to his own abilities and efforts and more to his inherited wealth andthe reputation of the Bush family. On September 11, Bush seemed to be somewhat hesitant in his responseand drew criticism for his decision to accept the advice of Cheney and theSecret Service by heading for air force bases in Louisiana and Nebraskainstead of returning directly to the White House from Florida. Bush's New Gravitas." New York Times, 12 Oct. Does he have sufficient political skillsto keep partisan politics within acceptable limits? . . team and worried about his image, he was at his worst"(5 ). During the next few weeks, Bush has displayed strong leadershipcapacity and in the process confounding many of his critics. Nevertheless,Bush conveyed the impression that he was on top of his job, in command andcharting a course for the nation which was both responsive to the needs ofhis domestic audience but also a sensible path for the nation and the worldto follow in unprecedented circumstances. 2 1, A 1 & A 24.Apple, R. Bush's clarion call for the nation to actforcefully against terrorism contrasted clearly with the more limited andoften ambivalent responses of the nation's leaders to prior terroristattacks, such as Ronald Reagan's humiliating retreat from Lebanon after theattack on the marine barracks in the early 198 s, his equivocal dealingswith Iranian Islamic fundamentalists in the context of the Iran ContraScandal and Bill Clinton's feckless responses to the Bin Ladenorganization's attacks on American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaamin 1999. through hislifelong battle against ill-health in childhood and his exuberantpersonality, and FDR through his struggle to overcome the effects of polio,fell squarely within the American tradition of lifting up oneself by one'sown bootstraps. He appeared "overly bellicose,"said Beschloss when he uttered his 'dead or alive' comment about Bin Laden.It was imprudent and inflammatory for him to have referred to the Alliedcampaign against terrorism as a 'crusade,' which conjured up in the eyes ofMuslims an anti-Islam policy which was not Bush's intent. Early in the crisis Bush proved adept at resolvingpotential strategic conflicts between the more hawkish members of hisnational security team, such as Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitzwho advocated immediate military action against nationstates who hadsponsored terrorism such as especially Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and otherssuch as Secretary of State Colin Powell who urged the President to dealwith the Afghanistan/Taliban/Bin Laden situation first with the support ofa broad international coalition. However, as Nixon pointed out "the finalverdict of history [on a political leader] is not rendered quickly" (344).JFK, for example, at critical junctures, such as in his Inaugural Address,the Cuban Missile Crisis, and in calling for civil rights legislation,displayed outstanding leadership when "he . While JFK is still very high in publicpopularity polls, historians have tended to downgrade his actualachievements over time. . 2 1, 2 .Burns, James MacGregor. Conclusion Bush is off to a promising beginning as an effective national leaderas evidenced by his conduct of the presidency since September 11. Greenstein agrees: "American presidentsstrongly influence public policy," but he adds, "the impact of thepresident is almost invariably a function of the personal leadershipqualities he brings to and displays in office, as well as the politicalcontext of the presidency" (1). Bush's Greatness as a Leader Bush has thus far exceeded just about everyone's expectations in hishandling of the current crisis. As Nixon noted, "purpose is not enough. Many of his publicpresentations appeared to be wooden, even boring. . He [theleader] must perform" (326). Bush appeared to capture the mood of a stricken nation, reassure itwhile at the same time exhorting it to remain steadfast in pursuit ofhigher purposes. Since the end of the Cold War and withexception of the Gulf War, American presidents have not had to deal withlife threatening foreign policy crises. News & World Report, 1 Oct. Apple said on September 12Bush "is likely to be judged . Kennedy The Endurance of Inspirational Leadership." Leadership in the Modern Presidency. "Naive No More." U.S. Works CitedApple, R. Bush (Bush) for leading the United States effectively during thecrisis created by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in NewYork and the Pentagon in Washington and related threats. . "John F. "No Middle Ground." New York Times, 14 Sept. A minoritypresident, who had failed to garner a majority of the popular vote, Bushhad no clear agenda to govern. W., Jr. After a somewhat shaky start, Bushresponded well to the crisis of September 11 and displayed many of theskills and characteristics of an effective President in dealing with thethreat of terrorism. 1 8-133.Beschloss, Michael. Cambridge: Harvard U P, 1988."In the Rough; George Bush's Troubles the State of the Bush Presidency." Economist, 14 July 2 1, 1.Marquez, Myricun. By these standards, Bush did not appear before September 11 topossess many of the qualities associated in the past with above averagepresidential leadership nor did the prevailing circumstances especiallyfavor the display of such talents. Nixon said"great leadership requires a great vision, one that inspires the leader andenables him to inspire the nation" (5). The New YorkTimes complimented him for being "as strong and forthright as the nationcould have wished, while also maintaining a calm that must have reassuredthe world that the United States will be prudent as well as brave" (Mr. "Bush Is An Idiot But Don't Tell the Europeans." New Statesman, 25 June 2 1, 2 ."What Did He Say?" New York Times Upfront, 19 March 2 1, 7.----------------------- 12 Bush has made mistakes along the way. FDR said "the Presidency is . Prior to theoccurrence of the events of September 11, 2 1, the extent of Bush'sPresidential leadership potential was very much in doubt owing in largepart to the public perception of him created during the recent presidentialelectoral campaign, the post-election dispute and Bush's performance duringhis first eight months in office. "Awaiting the Aftershock." New York Times, 12 Sept. Marquez said that Bush "established a sense of purpose, so pure, soright that it left no room for moral relativism" (K 674 ). 2 1, A 15.Borger, Gloria. All our great Presidents wereleaders of thought at times when certain historic ideas in the life of thenation had to be clarified" (Burns Preface). Much of what Bush has done is improvisational, areaction to events which perhaps should have been but were not adequatelyforeseen, by him and the rest of the national security and law enforcementestablishment. Some presidents with patricianbackgrounds, notably Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, proved to beoutstanding leaders of the nation, but each of them, T.R. Much the same could have been said concerning FDR'sexperimental solutions to the Depression or Lincoln's initial efforts topreserve the Union. All that one can safely say is that Bush hasresponded exceptionally well as a political leader in the early days of thecurrent crisis. However,Kennedy also was capable of "empty public relations serving only to coverup substantive deficiencies" (125). Most Presidents who have attainedhigh marks as leaders have had to deal with crises which were bothtraumatic and dangerous, Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, WoodrowWilson during the First World War, FDR during the Great Depression and theearly days of World War II and JFK at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.Others who were confronted with serious national crises and who failed tomeasure up to their demands, such as James Madison during the War of 1812and Lyndon Johnson due to his mishandling of the Vietnam War, have beendealt with harshly by historians. . Stephens of the leftwingNew Statesman said in June 2 1: "Bush is an idiot" and "Americans stilltend to be deeply embarrassed by Boy George's gauchiness and blatant lackof readiness for the presidency" (2 ). In nipping this controversy in the bud infavor of a 'one war at a time' policy, Bush demonstrated a growingconfidence in his capacity to lead. John Kennedy had benefitted from his father's wealth butwas a certifiable war hero in his own right. BUSH AS PRESIDENTIAL LEADER This research paper examines the capacity and skills of PresidentGeorge W. At the same time his seemingdeference to Vice President Richard Cheney suggested that he was not quiteready to assume the responsibilities of President. "From Core of Soul, Bush Inspires." Knight- Ridder/Tribune News Service, 24 Sept. Bush's first eight months in office presented a mixed picture. W., Jr. Bush in contrast had not beenparticularly successful in the oil business and had basically been savedfrom failure by the family fortune. Does Bush have sufficient sophistication concerninginternational affairs to hold his national security team and theinternational coalition together? The answers to thesequestions are unknown. Leadership in the Modern Presidency. A26). According to Burns, in the highestform of political leadership, "transforming leadership," "leaders andfollowers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality"(2 ). In taking the moral high ground, Bush evidenced a clear sense ofpurpose and took the moral high ground. Bush effectively shepherded his #1 'signature' campaign issue, hisproposed tax cut, through Congress successfully, but by mid-2 1, many ofhis initiatives, such as his faith-based charitable approach to socialproblems, his energy and education bills were gaining little traction inCongress. Carlsen said "when Bushlistened to his p.r. have been great readers," somethingwhich mediocre Yale student Bush never has pretended to be (33 ).Expectations were, therefore, low when he entered office. . Will the public lose patience with his leadership anddeny him a second term? . In his speech to a joint session of Congress onSeptember 2 , Bush seized the moral high ground declaring that the UnitedStates was engaged in a war to defend its freedoms and way of life againstterrorists and nations which harbor or support terrorists. GEORGE W. . New York: Warner Books, 1982.Stephens, Andrew. In foreign affairs,Europeans seemed unimpressed and even antagonized by Bush's tendency towardunilateral moves such as his rejection of the Kyoto Treaty on globalwarming and his sponsorship of missile defense. The failure to set goals is a sign of faltering leadership"(397). 2 1, A 26."Mr. Nixon in his book Leaders said"virtually all great leaders . Bush's engaging personality emerged during the presidential campaigndebates where his personal warmth and self-deprecating humor contrastedfavorably with Vice President Albert Gore's seemingly arrogant and stiffpresentational style. New York: Harper & Row, 1978.Carlson, Margaret. In his speechat the National Cathedral on September 16, Bush, according to the New YorkTimes "struck the note of somber confidence that the nation was lookingfor" (President A 14). 2 1, A 14.Nixon, Richard M. Leadership. (ed.). As Nixon put it, the leader in a crisis "must bedecisive" (328). Cambridge: Harvard U P, 1988. During the Republican presidential primaries,Senator John McCain, who came from a celebrated naval family, tapped intothe nation's tendency to identify with war heroes and captivated many withhis 'straight talk.' Bush appeared to overcome McCain largely because hisefforts were better financed. He facesvery severe challenges to his limited but growing capacity and skills as apresidential leader. Nixon saidthe ability to delegate is essential because the most precious asset of aleader is his own time. on whether he can take command and actdecisively" (Awaiting A 24). Bush's Most Important Speech." New York Times, 21 Sept. an assured appearance that should given citizens asense that their president has done much to master the complexities of thisnew global crisis" (A 22). The events of September 11 suddenlypresented Bush with an unprecedented challenge. Bush's Response to the September 11 Attacks Nixon said that history suggests that for a national political leaderto be outstanding three conditions must be present, "a great man, a greatcountry, and a great issue" (2). 2 1, K 674 ."Mr. In July 2 1, the Economist said"the Bush presidency is stuck in the trenches" (1). Apple said "the nation is rallying around its young,largely untried leader--as his rising approval ratings and theproliferation of flags across the country vividly demonstrates" (No A 1).Borger said on October 1 that public opinion polls showed that nearly 95percent of Americans supported his September 2 speech (34). Nixon said "as he grows accustomed toseeing large consequences from making his own decisions, the leader growsmore comfortable making those decisions and more ready to risk the resultsof his own errors" (328). Mr. Bush remains an untestedfigure in the eyes of many Americans" (Demands A 16). Will he be more successful in sustaining publicconfidence for a long, protracted and often frustrating war which may notalways go well or will he succumb to public impatience and turn hisattention elsewhere? invoked moral arguments,appealed to people's idealism about serving big causes, and set exciting,ambitious goals for the nation and the world" (Brauer 125). The New YorkTimes in its editorial of September 13 impatiently chided Bush: "he mustshow that he knows what he is doing . Burns said "all leadership isgoal-oriented. Leaders. This impression was buttressed by Bush's tendency to uttermalapropisms such as "more and more of our imports come from overseas"(What 7). His clumsy Bushisms together with his unabashed admissions thathe had little interest in the world of ideas and his inability to pronouncethe names of some foreign leaders reinforced his image as a man of limitedbrain power and international experience. Unlike Jimmy Carter whofell into the trap of micromanaging military affairs and politicalnegotiations during the Iranian hostage crisis, Bush has demonstrated thathe knows how to rely on key subordinates to implement policy. .predominantly a place of moral leadership. He has proved to be politicallyadept both in fashioning a bipartisan consensus at home and a stableinternational coalition. He had overcome a serious drinkingproblem in the 198 s but this conduct bore resemblance to the irresponsiblebehavior of many rich scions who were afforded a second chance thatordinary persons lacked. He wasgenerally recognized to have selected an overall outstanding cabinetespecially in the national security arena. Fred I. . Behind the scenes Bush showed that he knows how to delegate authoritywhile at the same time making the key decisions. . His popularity ratings in various polls were adequate --in the 5 -59 percent range-- but not out of the ordinary. 2 1, 5 .Greenstein, Fred I. Bush will face severe tests in the future as he implements his anti-terrorism policy. It said he was "a different man" "more confident, determined and sureof his purposes . At the same time, Bush's appeal as the type of personwith whom one would like to socialize led many to conclude that he wasfairly ordinary. 2 1, A 22."President Bush's First Win." New York Times, 17 Sept. 2 1, A 1 & A 4.Brauer, Carl M. Bush Pre-September 11 According to Greenstein, Professor Richard Neustadt, a leadingstudent of presidential leadership in the 196 s, popularized the view thatin the United States, "the presidency is the central institution of thepolitical system and that a strong, energetic president is necessary tomake the system work" (315). However, it is much too soon to conclude that he willbe regarded by history as an outstanding presidential leader. Greenstein, ed. "Bush Faces the Greatest Test." New York Times, 17 Sept. "A President Finds His Voice." Time, 24 Sept.
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