George bush was not elected to face great challenges or bear great burdens. His appeal lay in his very lightness. He wanted to shrink the size of government, reduce the weight of taxes and disentangle America from unnecessary foreign involvement. People who wanted a busy government could vote for Al Gore. People who dreamed of national greatness and rolling back terrorist states could vote for John McCain. Mr Bush sold himself as a laid-back president for a laid-back nation. How has this lightweight coped with one of the heaviest challenges a president has ever faced? Even Mr Bush's supporters concede that he got off to a lousy start. On September nth, people looked to Rudolph Giuliani, or even to news anchors, for reassurance while their president zigzagged across the great blue yonder. But Mr Bush smartened up fast. In the disorientating days after the attacks, he succeeded in connecting with ordinary Americans-in feeling their grief without being mawkish and in expressing America's powerful sense of patriotism. He also made a notable effort to reach out to Arab-Americans, condemning racial stigmatisation, visiting mosques and inviting leading Muslims to the White House.
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