TIME: Do you delegate too much?

BUSH: No, I don't. My management style is that I set the goals, make no mistake about it. They understand where I want to go. I hold people accountable. But I trust them.

It's also important to stay in touch. I mean, I talk to Vice President Cheney all the time. There's no big decision made without aides conferring with me. And that's one of the characteristics of a good chief executive officer or a President. Somebody who can decide. You look at the facts, you delegate and you make decisions. And then you expect everyone, once the decision is made, to march forward as a team.

TIME: What is the biggest misconception about you?

BUSH: That I'm not sensitive to racial issues. You know, it may be because I'm from Texas. It may be because I've got Republican by my name. Certainly, it isn't what I think.

TIME: What about the charge that you're intellectually incurious?

BUSH: I wouldn't say that. I admire a good thinker--particularly if they're practical. And I like to read a good book. I'm a history buff. I just finished Stephen Ambrose's book on building the transcontinental railroad.

TIME: You spend a lot of time at the ranch, which leads some to say, "He's not engaged."

BUSH: Yeah, I know. I'm trying to put this as delicately as I can. I think there's a difference between people who are intellectually curious and people who are intellectually haughty. I appreciate people who are intellectually curious, who want to learn and know more. I am turned off by people who think they're smarter than everybody else. Because there's a heck of a lot of wisdom in Crawford, Texas. And a good President understands the people who make a living working with their hands as much as the people who make a living working with their brains.

There's book wisdom and there's practical wisdom. And I hope it's said that I am mindful of both and that I never lord myself over people because I have an educational background that somebody else may not have had. Listen, I appreciate a very smart person. I appreciate people who've got a great capacity to think. And I listen...a lot.

TIME: Do you ever lose sleep over anything?

BUSH: Sometimes I do, but I've been sleeping very well lately. My anxiety level is pretty darn low. Maybe it's because of what's happened the past month. One of the great things about a campaign is that it's supposed to end. And we worked our hearts out, and all of a sudden it didn't end. So it's been an interesting period of time that has helped me cope with anxiety and made me a more patient person.

TIME: What did you learn from the campaign?

BUSH: It's a humbling experience. And it's important for a President to remember that.

TIME: Give us an example.

BUSH: Well, first of all, there was the humbling aspect of constantly being the butt of everybody's jokes. The good news was I wasn't the only butt in the race. It's part of a test of focus and keeping things in perspective. I'm also a more patient person, more deliberative as a result of a long campaign. It steels somebody for the job, helps boost the confidence of the person running, when all's said and done. I'm a better person for the campaign.

TIME: What's the most important thing you learned about Al Gore?

BUSH: He's a tough competitor. I admire somebody who's relentless in his quest. I've always been a sportsman, and I came away with respect for somebody competing just as hard as I was.

TIME: If you had been in Gore's shoes, would you have been calling for the recounts?

BUSH: It's hard to tell. [Pause.] It's too hard to tell.

TIME: So you don't resent him for trying?

BUSH: I don't resent the Vice President's attempts. I did win the count and recount, in certain counties four times. There are rules and laws for a reason. But I harbor no bitterness.

TIME: Do you look forward to facing Al Gore again in 2004?

BUSH: [Laughs.]

TIME: Or would you rather run against Senator Clinton?