But the country was already moving beyond it, and Mr. Bush did not keep pace.
Mr. Bush keeps saying that things will go well once the voting actually starts.
Mr. Bush kept bringing up the high cost of malpractice lawsuits.
Mr. Bush, who monitored the polls, kept the bad news to himself.
Several aides said Mr. Bush had always kept open the possibility of going home.
Mr. Bush has kept a failed war going by faking military success.
But many felt that Mr. Bush kept himself too tightly in check.
From a political perspective, it is easy to see why Mr. Bush has kept his distance.
So Mr. Bush will keep sending other men's children off to fight his war.
Mr. Bush is deliberately keeping his distance from the press.