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What makes his transition striking is not perfection, but restraint. In an era when former leaders chase cameras and algorithms, Bush has mostly declined to compete with his successors. He mentors quietly, paints the faces of those who carried out his orders, and lets historians argue without his constant rebuttal. The legacy of his presidency will remain contested. But his choice to step back—firmly, intentionally—has become its own kind of statement about power, responsibility, and how a public life should end.
