The quiet presidency: What pundits said about Bush just before 9/11

(Image credit: (Eric Draper/White House/Newsmakers))

last updated 8 January 2015

A "quiet man" best known for "significant silences" and a "disciplined and low-key style" — a stoic leader "perfect for these complacent times." Not exactly how you remember George W. Bush, right?

And yet, that's exactly how the pundit class saw President George W. Bush after his first 100 days in office.

Twelve years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as the nation remembers not just that terrible day, but the years of war that followed, here's a flashback to the Bush presidency before 9/11 — as captured in The Week's May 4, 2001 issue.