By Curtis Wilkie, Globe Staff, January 21, 1999
AUSTIN, Texas -- Governor George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, said yesterday that the prospective loss of their family's privacy is the greatest deterrent to a presidential campaign by Bush.
"I'm interested. I'm thinking about it," Bush said of a race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. But the couple's 17-year-old twin daughters are not enthusiastic about a bid for the presidency, he told reporters in a meeting at the governor's mansion the day after closely watched inauguration ceremonies here. "They don't want to be put through the meat grinder of national politics. Forget it."
His wife, who was at his side, was asked whether she was concerned about safety for the family. "Not particularly," she said. "I'm very worried about privacy."
A national campaign would be a "major life change" that she would not necessarily welcome, she said. "We have a very nice life" in Texas.
At the informal get-together, Bush parried a persistent line of questioning about his future with repeated responses of "maybe."
The 52-year-old governor, who has acknowledged that he was once "young and irresponsible," said he was not troubled by investigations into his personal life by reporters or rivals. "There's nothing in my background to disqualify me," he said.
While the governor lingers on the sidelines, Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, has tapped veteran operative Rick Davis to manage his presidential exploratory committee. If, as expected, McCain formally becomes a candidate, Davis would be his campaign manager.
Davis worked in the 1980 and 1984 campaigns of Ronald Reagan, serving in the former president's administration. He was debate coordinator for George Bush in the 1988 presidential campaign and convention manager for 1996 GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole.
On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri is almost certain not to challenge Vice President Al Gore for the Democratic nomination, allies said. They say he has not quite finalized the decision, but will soon make his intentions known.
In his session with reporters, Bush reiterated that he would reach a decision by spring, and if he leaned toward running, he promised to form an exploratory committee to raise funds for a presidential campaign before the current Texas legislative session ends in May.
"I didn't ask for this speculation to occur," Bush said, expressing surprise at polls that show he is the leading candidate for the GOP nomination.
Bush was philosophical about seizing the moment. "I understand there are windows of opportunity and tides of history," he said. "Should I choose not to run, I understand the window might be closed. Sometimes the moment passes."
Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.
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