Rising Freshman

THAT President Bush has done a splendid job as a war leader, by now, goes without saying. On all the big decisions, he made the right calls. He also quickly became an eloquent spokesman for national resolve. Bush’s stratospheric approval ratings reflect not only the public’s instinct to rally around a leader in a crisis, but its appreciation for his actual performance. He has been better than many people expected.

Bush’s leadership since September 11, however, should not be allowed to obscure the fact that he was having a fairly successful first year in office even before the attacks. While most liberals appreciate what Bush has done over the last four months, there is here and there carping to the effect that Bush was flailing about before the attacks, which came in the nick of time for him.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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THAT President Bush has done a splendid job as a war leader, by now, goes without saying. On all the big decisions, he made the right calls. He also quickly became an eloquent spokesman for national resolve. Bush’s stratospheric approval ratings reflect not only the public’s instinct to rally around a leader in a crisis, but its appreciation for his actual performance. He has been better than many people expected.

Bush’s leadership since September 11, however, should not be allowed to obscure the fact that he was having a fairly successful first year in office even before the attacks. While most liberals appreciate what Bush has done over the last four months, there is here and there carping to the effect that Bush was flailing about before the attacks, which came in the nick of time for him.