"So now I'm an October–November man," Bush had said that February,

[rodeodance]

Dead Certain
Sept. 6, 2007
October-November Man

This week, Slate is publishing three exclusive excerpts from Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush by Robert Draper. In preparing this chronological narrative of the Bush presidency, Draper has had unprecedented journalistic access to the Bush White House, including six interviews with the president in late 2006 and 2007. In our final selection, a beleaguered president contemplates the situation in Iraq.

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> Bush had his own calculations. In September, General Petraeus would testify before Congress about Baghdad's progress. Bush had to hope that the additional troops would quell the violence. Had to speak with utter confidence that his hopes would be realized.
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> "So now I'm an October–November man," Bush had said that February, a picture of rustic calm as his boots rested atop the fine historic desk. "I'm playing for October–November."
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> And until then? He would travel overseas, take another crack at immigration and energy legislation, study his daily Terrorist Threat Matrix, hug war widows. But the present tense was, in a sense, no longer his domain—not with the public and the legislative branch so beyond the reach of his persuasions. Americans had soured on the president and his war. The First Optimist had made pessimists out of them.
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> His playing field was now the future. That, of course, assumed that October–November would at last bring stability to Iraq and thereby surge his depleted mandate. Bush did in fact operate with that belief—always. New Hampshire could not change that in him. The midterms could not change that in him. What had to be believed, he believed.
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> "I'm not afraid to make decisions," Bush said. "Matter of fact, I like this aspect of the presidency."
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