Is George W. Bush returning to politics?
The former president lifts a self-imposed gag order to speak up on immigration reform
Former President George W. Bush has made a point of avoiding politics since leaving office in 2008. Lately, however, he has called attention to his own record fighting AIDS in Africa, and offered a glimpse of how he feels about two of the most controversial issues dividing Washington these days — gay marriage and immigration reform.
During an appearance at a citizenship ceremony Wednesday, Bush urged politicians to reach a "positive resolution" on the immigration reform debate, saying "the laws governing our immigration system are not working." This came days after Bush told ABC News' Jon Karl that people shouldn't be "overly critical" about gay marriage until they had looked into their own hearts.
Does this mean Bush is returning to the political stage? Maggie Haberman at Politico says Bush, who has been in "self-imposed political exile" since leaving office, is suddenly "having a resurgence." His approval numbers, which once dropped to 23 percent, "have climbed to a seven-year high of 47 percent in a recent Washington Post poll," she says — a hair higher than President Obama's.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
One thing that is not at all clear is whether Bush's recent outspokenness will have any political impact. In fact, argues David Weigel at Slate, "none of this seems to matter politically":
Still, it is hard to argue that something has changed. Dana Milbank at The Washington Post notes that former presidents usually "grow in public esteem as memories fade." In Bush's case, Milbank says, our forgiving and forgetting is accelerating now that the Iraq war is over and the economy is recovering. That means this is a good moment for Bush to reemerge, Milbank says, although he might be speaking up not out of a desire to wade back into politics, but to forge a legacy as a uniter.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
How is aid getting into Gaza right now?
Today's Big Question The international effort to provide Palestinians with essentials during wartime has become a Gordian knot of logistics
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The lows of an unregulated high: Teens are using marijuana alternative delta-8
In the Spotlight More than 1 in 10 high school seniors have reported using the substance, which contains concentrated THC
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Michigan shooter's dad guilty of manslaughter
speed read James Crumbley failed to prevent his son from killing four students at Oxford High School in 2021
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will North Korea take advantage of Israel-Hamas conflict?
Today's Big Question Pyongyang's ties with Russia are 'growing and dangerous' amid reports it sent weapons to Gaza
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published