--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: During the election campaign of 2000, it…" description: "\"During the election campaign of 2000, it was generally thought that then-governor Bush didn't know much about foreign policy or national security affai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/elliott-abrams-1577_about_during-the-election-campaign-of-2000-it_1338692.jpg" --- # During the election campaign of 2000, it was generally… ![“During the election campaign of 2000, it was generally thought that then-governor Bush didn't know much about foreign policy or national security affairs, and that Colin Powell would lead on that front, while the president's main concern would be domestic.” quote by Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/elliott-abrams-1577_about_during-the-election-campaign-of-2000-it_1338692.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/elliott-abrams-1577_about_during-the-election-campaign-of-2000-it_1338692.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/elliott-abrams-1577_about_during-the-election-campaign-of-2000-it_1338692.jpg) > “During the election campaign of 2000, it was generally thought that then-governor Bush didn't know much about foreign policy or national security affairs, and that Colin Powell would lead on that front, while the president's main concern would be domestic.” [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observers expected Bush to lack foreign policy expertise, with Powell leading and domestic focus for the president. **In simple terms:** Bush seen as inexperienced; Powell expected to lead foreign policy. Key Takeaway Recognize gaps between perception and actual policy expertise. Themes politics leadership expertise media expectations Mood analytical critical Type political historical When to use this quote - election strategy - policy analysis - media relations - government briefing Key Concepts political science communication leadership studies Questions to Reflect On - How do media narratives shape political expectations? - What evidence counters perceived expertise gaps? A Different Perspective Perceptions can be inaccurate, affecting decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affairs/) [Colin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colin/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Foreign policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [This thing that Colin Powell's son is expected to do is kind of scary when you think that television and radio and newspapers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mckay/this-thing-that-colin-powell-s-son-is-expected-to-do-is-kind-of-scary/) [Jim McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mckay/) > [America owed its military renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s to Vietnam. 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I don't care where they hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-call-him-governor-bush-because-that-s-the-only-political-office-he/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Unfortunately, Governor Bush is a Pat Robertson Republican who will lose to Al Gore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/unfortunately-governor-bush-is-a-pat-robertson-republican-who-will/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Governor Bush will not stand for the subsidation of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/governor-bush-will-not-stand-for-the-subsidation-of-failure/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [On election night 2000, I had never met then-Governor Bush, though I'd supported him for years. I believed he would be a strong, optimistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/on-election-night-2000-i-had-never-met-then-governor-bush-though-i-d/) [Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/) > [I'm gonna get us to a balanced budget, President Bush didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-m-gonna-get-us-to-a-balanced-budget-president-bush-didn-t/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Although a lot of established comedians had these really well crafted jokes about Al Qaeda and George Bush, I didn't have any of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-buteau/although-a-lot-of-established-comedians-had-these-really-well-crafted/) [Michelle Buteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-buteau/) > [George Bush didn't campaign on, 'If you elect me, I'm going to be a great president to confront terrorism and launch a war in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/george-bush-didn-t-campaign-on-if-you-elect-me-i-m-going-to-be-a/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) ## More by Elliott Abrams > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The story of the Jews in the Bible is replete with incidents of their ingratitude to God for His gifts to them: incidents that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-story-of-the-jews-in-the-bible-is-replete-with-incidents-of-their/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [From its earliest days in the nineteenth century, and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/from-its-earliest-days-in-the-nineteenth-century-and-until-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Pope is not a political figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-pope-is-not-a-political-figure/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel and the Palestinians had been at the table together for decades until the Obama/Mitchell/Rahm Emanuel decision to demand a total end to Israeli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-and-the-palestinians-had-been-at-the-table-together-for/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Pundits are used to analyzing the gap between what our ideals suggest and what our security interests require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/pundits-are-used-to-analyzing-the-gap-between-what-our-ideals-suggest/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Egyptian military and the government of Israel have long had a common interest in maintaining order and fighting terrorism in Sinai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-egyptian-military-and-the-government-of-israel-have-long-had-a/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [In 2007, early in the improbable presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, the young first-term senator began a series of foreign-policy speeches that seemed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-2007-early-in-the-improbable-presidential-candidacy-of-barack/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Terrorists that kill Americans don't get released.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/terrorists-that-kill-americans-don-t-get-released/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Refusing to lift sanctions and adopting tougher rhetoric toward Iran would not be partisan issues. 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