The Man in Office

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>One constant of oral histories across administrations is discussion of the unparalleled pressures of the presidency—strains magnified for George W. Bush because of 9/11. These stresses inevitably take a toll on the incumbent, who always visibly ages during the White House years. What in the president’s constitution allows him to absorb these pressures, and what does he do to sustain himself for the next day’s challenges? Bush’s longtime aide Dan Bartlett observed that “what kept Bush’s balance in life was the three F's: faith, family, and friends.” This chapter elaborates on those factors and on the temperament of the man fortified by them.</jats:p>