The public image of United States of America’s 43^rd president George W. Bush is one that has suffered significant criticism and at the same time received enormous praise. The approval of George W. Bush arose from different aspects of his life; his personality, his policies and landmark events that occurred during his time. George W. Bush’s character was likable even though he was the son of a former president. He was able to appear as a relatable personality due to his accent that gave him the “Cowboy” persona in the media. During his first time, he ensured that he appeared less on television to reduce fatigue that comes with seeing a single person often. However, this paper aims to highlight events that caused the fluctuations in his approval ratings.

George W. Bush received positive reaffirmation domestically in times of crisis. During his tenure, terrorist attacks were on the rise, and therefore the citizens of the United States of America looked up to him for strength. In these times of uncertainty, he responded with authority that gave them hope. The event that highlights this reaction from him is the September 11 attacks that caught a considerable number of people by surprise. Terrorists had hijacked four planes and used them to commit atrocities against American citizens. The terror attacks resulted in the death of approximately three thousand people and harmed the economy. Afterward, the terrorist group Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack through its leader Osama Bin Laden.

Consequently, President Bush put in place countermeasures that were aimed at eradicating the threat of terrorism. First, he oversaw the enactment of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001. The passage of this law paved the way for the strengthening of the existing security frameworks to enable them to tackle the existing loopholes that had been exploited in the execution of the 9/11 attacks. The act suspended some of the civil liberties that an American citizen would enjoy with the aim of combating terror. According to the Patriot Act, authorities could execute a search on a suspect’s home without acquiring a search warrant. Additionally, the scope to which surveillance can be carried out was expanded. Furthermore, financial institutions such as banks that aided acts of terror through money laundering were required to share that information with the relevant authorities. During the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the bill received tremendous support due to their strictness and, therefore, it was able to quell fears that had gripped American citizens. Consequently, the approval ratings of George W. Bush rose to a high of 92 percent and remained stable at 80 to 90 percent within the first four months after the 9/11 attacks.

Another monumental event that influenced President Bush’s approval ratings positively was the announcement of military intervention in Afghanistan. During the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the United States of America sought retaliation for the destruction and loss of lives that earlier terror attacks had caused it. Therefore, it made sense to launch attacks in Afghanistan which were under the control of the Taliban, a terrorist group that was firmly allied to Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks. Furthermore, the group had publicly welcomed Osama Bin Laden who was considered the United States of America’s greatest enemy at that time. President Bush had requested the Taliban to surrender Al-Qaeda’s leaders to the United States of America. However, Mullah Mohamed Omar, Taliban’s leader, declined. Consequently, a plan of invading Afghanistan was put in place. Initially, the war yielded the desired results which led to the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld declared that major combat in Afghanistan had ended. As a result of this, President Bush’s popularity soared as he was perceived as a symbol of resilience after the September 11 attacks.

During President Bush’s second term, his approval ratings started to drop until they reached a record low of 22% when he left office in 2008. One of the events that influenced this skid was the Iraq War that is considered a legacy of George W Bush. Initially, the military intervention in Iraq received significant support due to President Bush’s assertions that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction in its possession. Therefore, the general public supported this move and hailed it as a move that was aimed at ensuring that the United States of America remained safe from terror attacks. However, as time went by, the Bush Administration failed to produce evidence of recovery of these weapons. Consequently, support for this intervention started to dwindle. Moreover, the casualties that the troops encountered in this war had begun to take a toll on the country. Furthermore, the war became expensive as it demanded more resources to ensure the stability of Iraq. As a result of this, efforts to increase the number of troops in Iraq and the allocation of more funds faced resistance in Congress. Over time, the public sought a plan of withdrawal of the troops from Iraq.

In addition to the Iraq War debacle, President’s Bush’s handling of Hurricane Katrina received criticism that negatively impacted his ratings. When Hurricane Katrina first hit New Orleans, George W Bush was on vacation in Texas. His aides failed to inform him of the nature of destruction that Hurricane Katrina had caused. Therefore, he continued his leave, and no presidential address was given to reassure the American citizens of the government’s commitment to overcoming this crisis. Instead, the national news cycle was filled with images of the desperation of people that were adversely impacted by the hurricane. The photos showed people standing on rooftops asking for help and other individuals in shelters that experienced shortages in water and other essential amenities. The general public noticed President’s Bush’s silence as it indicated that he was aloof, and therefore, failed to empathize with the citizens in need. Moreover, New Orleans had a considerable number of African American people and individuals with low income. Consequently, the Bush Administration gave the impression that it did not care about the welfare of the underprivileged in society.

Overall, George W Bush received both positive and negative perception during his tenure as President. However, in hindsight, the policies that made him popular considerably led to consequences that eventually led to a negative approval rating — his robust approach to dealing with terrorism dramatically shaped future foreign policy of the United States of America. His successor, President Barrack Obama, continued efforts to end the war in Afghanistan and eventually killed Osama Bin Laden. In a nutshell, President Bush can be referred to as a “War President” because his legacy is mainly associated with the wars that started during his tenure. Moreover, he was able to rally crowds using these same wars.

 
Do you need high quality Custom Essay Writing Services?