Promises vs. Problems

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Introduction

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Overview

In a few weeks, George Bush will be sworn in as the 41st president of the United States. After all the inaugural hoopla dies down, it will be time to get down to business—to deliver on all the promises made on the campaign trail.

If quantity were the major criterion, President Bush would have an easy time fulfilling his promises. Although there were the usual platitudes about “moving forward” and “keeping the country strong,” candidate Bush offered precious few specifics. Bush was not unique in his reluctance to commit himself during a campaign to specific policies. One analyst found that during the first-term campaigns of the last five elected presidents, the fewest detailed pledges were made by Reagan and Johnson, with only 12 and 10, respectively, compared with 49 from Jimmy Carter. But Bush took promise-avoidance to a new level: Even if “detailed pledges” is defined rather loosely, George Bush's could be counted on one hand.