Destiny and Power

I would like to bring to your attention that the above book is in bookshops and
contains some good ideas that will be of benefit to a student who is planning to join politics
like you. The book is about the life and times of the 41 st president of the US, George Herbert
Walker Bush. The book has several concepts, ideas and arguments that are worth looking at
in great length. You will find it stimulating, it also has some area which you will disagree
with, and it also has some aspects that you will agree with. Eventually, you will come to
realise that the book is worth much more than you may have thought.
Among the many ideas that the book brings forth is the fact that leadership is not for
the fainthearted. The book brings out the idea that if one would like to take up a leadership
position; it is good that he takes that challenge head on. It does not matter whom the other
person is competing against. A good example of this idea is exemplified by the manner in
which Bill Clinton contested the US presidency against George Bush. Looking at the
accomplishments of George Bush, one would have felt that Bill Clinton stood no chance.
However, Bush’s accomplishments did not prevent Clinton from beating him in elections.
Another idea is that when one is in power, he should always try as much as possible to ensure

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that he listens to the views and ideas of others. It can be seen from the book that Bush felt
that his loss after only one term in power was due to the fact that he never listened to the
advice of other people who were around him.
Several concepts are also developed from this reading. Among the many concepts are
that one determines his destiny. It is not people or friends who determine one’s destiny. The
past of background of an individual may play an insignificant role in determining the destiny
of an individual. To illustrate on this concept, it can be seen that despite the fact that George
Bush had served his country diligently, Americans did look at that factor when they came to
elections. Despite the fact that he almost lost his life in a war, Americans never considered
that fact. It can also be seen that despite the fact that Bill Clinton ran from his country when it
needed him during the Vietnam War, Americans never looked at his past. They gave him the
presidency despite his inability to serve his country when it needed him most.
There are several arguments in this book that are stimulating. Some of these
arguments are that while George Bush was scared of losing an election to a newbie, his sons,
Walker Bush and Jeb Bush were out there giving him hope. The sons were the age of the Bill
Clinton who was contesting against their father. Despite the fact that bill Clinton was far
much younger than Walker Herbert Bush was, he mounted a formidable campaign team that
made sure he dislodged Bush from the White house. What is stimulating is the fact that
somebody who was the age of his sons could beat him in the presidential race. While on the
eve of the elections, Bush Junior and Jeb Bush were out comforting their father hoping that
all would be well. It is an argument that is stimulating in the sense that there is some form of
irony in the hope that he gets from his sons. His wife is not being mentioned anywhere during
this tumultuous period of electioneering. One can come up with an argument that maybe
Barbara Bush may have realised that her husband was not going to win the elections. That
could be the reason why she never bothered with her husband’s election. The fact that she can

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sleep soundly on the day that her husband has lost an election shows that she was not
concerned with what his husband was going through.
Several aspects are worth remembering in this scenario. One of the aspects is that
history may not count much in determining the future of somebody. From the description of
what Bust Senior and Bill Clinton did to their country in their formative years, it can be seen
that Americans forgot all that. The Americans judged the two people during their present
times. The ideas that they had for America during the campaign period is what the American
looked at. They did no look at the past issues, or past contributions by these two presidential
contestants. Looking at the aspect that American do not look very much at the history of
individuals, it is, therefore, worth the fact that during elections, one has to ensure that he
packages himself in the best way possible for him to be considered for a big office in the US.
One, therefore, needs to build on these hard facts that tell people that the past may not matter
very much when it came to elections.
The book also raises some areas of concern. These areas raise many questions that
need answers; or may not have immediate answers. One of area that raises concerns has to do
with the role of the wife of Bush Senior. It appears that she did not have any role to play in
her husband’s campaigns. One would want to ask why the sons appear to be very much
interested in their father’s campaign compared to the concern shown by his wife. It is on this
basis that one may start feeling that maybe the wife had the premonition that maybe her
husband would not defend his presidency for the second term. There are very many questions
that do not have immediate answers. By the sons showing more concern about their father’s
presidential bid than their mother raises more questions why the sons would be concerned
than their mother.
Looking at the book, there are some areas of disagreements. Among these areas, that
one would see an area of disagreement has to do with Bush senior despising Clinton due to

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his past record. Bush felt that his past record would play a role in convincing people to vote
for him for the second term. He felt that since Clinton had a dark past, it was a sure way of
making him lose the presidency. Many Americans disagreed with him on this aspect. That
was why they went ahead and chose somebody whom he felt was not fit to lead the US.
While Bush may have thought that maybe his advanced age could have worked in his favour,
the voters disagreed with him and went for somebody who was much younger than him. In
fact the Americans went for someone who was the age of his children. It is on this basis that
one can see several elements of disagreements that can be seen in this book. It can also be
seen that there was an element of contradictions that manifested themselves. The
contradictions came in the manner that Americans went contrary to what bush expected.
Looking at the book, one can see that the book has addressed several issues that are to
do with agents and institutions. About agents, the book is of the idea that the agents must do
their work as expected. Some of these agents are to do with those that border on how to
handle the key people who are around the presidential contestants. It should be seen that these
agents are supposed to portray the contestant in the best way possible. The agents should also
be in a position of ensuring that they collect the necessary information about the contestant
and pass it on to the public in the best way possible. When it comes to institutions, there is a
feeling that a strong institution are key in any country. Their strength makes them withstand
the test of time and perform the duties that are bestowed to them by the taxpayers.
The book is a revelation on many fronts that have to do with presidential elections in
the US. Many people who may not be aware of what happened between Bush Senior and Bill
Clinton should have a detailed look of this book. The many questions that one would ask in
such a situation are no longer there. They are all well answered in the book.