Bush 41 ran a substantial oil company (with some help from the CIA) for 10 years or so. And he eventually ran the CIA for a few years. Successfully in both cases.
He was also totally plugged in to a network of business, military, intelligence and political players. He had a hyper-competent cabinet from day 1 and he knew what he wanted to do and how to do it.
A very modest man, and a very underrated President.
GWB (Bush 43) ran Texas, for 8 years, well and honestly. In his times (and I think he would have the humility not to take credit in such a way), Texas reformed its many corrupt institutions, created a formidable business climate (and Texas was NOT always known for this). And in his days Texas even achieved improvements in public education that perhaps naively GWB thought could be transplanted to the rest. It was in the 1990s that Texas took the standing it does in the disassociated NAEP scores.
In his days the foundations were laid for its future prosperity. How much was Bush ? I suspect more than we usually assume.
McCain, meh, I grant you that.
Bush43’s gift to the country was financial meltdown in 2008.
To top it off he bailed out the criminal banks with pressure from his Goldman Sachs SOT. A total dimwit if you ask me.
He should have all the too big to fail banks go bankrupt and the more conservative smaller banks could have purchased all the loans and deposits.
Worst sin of Bush43? He awarded us Obummer for 8 years.
Exactly same as when we got lucky with Reagan due to the horrible record of Carter.