Campaign 2000: Why Bush Doesn't Like Homework

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Bush speaks convincingly about how important it is for a leader to assemble a trustworthy cadre of advisers. And he argues that there is no percentage, as Governor or as President, in trying to master every subject or micromanage every decision. But as Bruce Buchanan, a political scientist at the University of Texas in Austin, says, "Bush is trying to turn his weakness into a virtue. He's not a policy wonk, so he has to rely on people who are." And there is a risk to that approach, adds Buchanan, who is an admirer: "Bush's biggest weakness is that he might not be in a position to discern the credibility of the options his advisers lay out for him."

Bush's grasp of the details and nuance of some domestic-policy issues--especially education--draws praise from experts around the country. He can also talk substantively and passionately about trade and immigration, two areas of "foreign policy" he encountered as Governor of a state that shares a 900-mile border with Mexico. Bush proved as much in Sioux City, Iowa, where he took a vague question from the crowd to deliver a message of compassion toward illegal immigrants. "I want to remind you of something about immigration," Bush told his nearly all-white audience. "Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River. There are moms and dads [who] have children in Mexico. And they're hungry ... And they're going to come to try to find work. If they pay $5 in one place and $50 in another place, and they've got mouths to feed, they're going to come. It's a powerful instinct. It's called being a mom and being a dad." He then segued from immigration to an ardent defense of free trade, arguing that only increased trade would improve the lives of Mexicans enough to keep them in Mexico. It was an argument aimed directly at the protectionist wing of Bush's party, and it was not one that had been fed to him by advisers. His discourse wasn't weighed down with policy detail, but it was an example of what Bush can be at his best--genuine, articulate and knowledgeable.

But on too many issues, especially those dealing with the wider world of global affairs, Bush often sounds as if he's reading from cue cards. When he ventures into international issues, his unfamiliarity is palpable and not even his unshakable self-confidence keeps him from avoiding mistakes. On a trip to New Hampshire in September, Bush was cruising the streets and storefronts of downtown Milford when he encountered a woman who asked what he would do to "promote peace in the Middle East." Bush didn't hesitate. "I want to stand by Israel," he declared. "We're not gonna allow Israel to be pushed into the Red Sea." And then he said, "There's something called the Arrow missile system, which is an inter-ballistic, a short-range inter-ballistic missile system that intercepts missiles coming from [elsewhere]."