And in 1994 Bush decided to try his hand at politics once again, challenging the Democratic incumbent Ann Richards for the Texas governorship.
His family advocated against the move, and his efforts seemed like a quixotic quest because of Richards's popularity. But Bush successfully ran as the underdog. On election night, his margin of victory totaled over 350,000 votes.
The Texas Politician
"You develop this real impression of an apolitical guy," said Bush biographer Bill Minutaglio in an interview with the Austin American Statesman.
But throughout his reign as governor of Texas, he has established a reputation for straight talk.
His mother, Barbara Bush, said in an interview with The Associated Press, "He is the son who pulls no punches and tells it like he thinks it is."
Bush has built an image as a pragmatic politician in Texas by using bipartisan coalitions and a political philosophy of "compassionate conservatism" to implement proposals for tax cuts and education reform.
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