The 2008 presidential campaign saw many moments where faith factored into the public discourse. Questions about candidates’ core beliefs, religious affiliations, and their pastors infused an interesting dynamic into the media madness swarming the primaries. In a January 2008 interview, Fox News Channel’s Brett Baier asked President George W. Bush about the “faith factor.”
“How much do you think faith factors in to the Oval Office?” Baier asked.
“Having sat in that office now for seven years, I know how important it is to have a set of principles from which one will not vary. And your faith helps to develop a set of principles by which decisions should be made,” Bush responded.
Among Bush’s beliefs are the ideas “to much is given, much is required” and that life and freedom are gifts from God. Another guiding principle is the premium that Bush places on trust. He understands that personal relationships matter, which is one reason he occasionally invited heads of state to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, a place where leaders could speak their mind in the open air.
“I think the best way to conduct foreign policy is to establish kind of a level of trust. In other words, when you sit down with a person, they have got to trust you in the sense that you’re going to tell them what’s on your mind, and you’ll do it in a way that is not judgmental necessarily and a not zero sum (for them), and a good place to start that is here on the ranch,” he said.
“Was your faith ever shaken over these seven years?” Baier also asked.
“It’s been strengthened. One’s walk is (number) one, very personal, and two, is not always on the smooth road. No question the president gets tested, there’s tests throughout all of life… that’s just part of life,” he explained.
No president makes decisions and enacts policies without experiencing criticism and opposition. In fact, historically, presidents usually have bumpy rides, especially in their second terms. And as revered as George Washington was in his day, his second term was more challenging than his first. As several before him, Bush found strength in his faith during the rocky times.
“And faith helps bring joy in moments of trouble. It brings light in moments of darkness. Faith, for me, has been a very important part of appreciating the job of the president,” he said.
Father, I thank you for bringing joy to my heart!
“Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.” (Psalm 97:11)