Tony Blair wrote in 2010 that the caricature of Bush as being dumb is " ludicrous " and that Bush is " very smart " . In an interview with '' Playboy '' , '' The New York Times '' columnist David Brooks said Bush " was 60 IQ points smarter in private than he was in public . He does n't want anybody to think he 's smarter than they are , so puts on a Texas act . " Bush began his presidency with approval ratings near 50 percent . After the September 11 attacks , Bush gained an approval rating of 90 percent , maintaining 80 to 90 percent approval for four months after the attacks . It remained over 50 percent during most of his first term and then fell to as low as 19 percent in his second term
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
George W. Bush