In 2005, George W. Bush read a book on the 1918 flu. He was shook.

"This happens every 100 years. We need a national strategy," he said.

They forged a comprehensive pandemic preparedness plan.

The Obama WH refined it.

The electoral college chose Donald J. Trump just in time. https://twitter.com/quidditch424/status/1330384305789472769

The tragedy is that Bush wasn't prepared for a hurricane in the summer of 2005, but he was gearing up for the 2020 pandemic thanks to an advance copy of John M. Barry's "The Great Influenza." https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/george-bush-2005-wait-pandemic-late-prepare/story%3fid=69979013

If the only crisis George W. Bush had ever had to to deal with was viruses (& he hadn't killed untold numbers w unnecessary wars), his reputation might be different.

His HIV/AIDS initiative saved ~1.5 million lives in Africa, treatment to ~8 million & testing for ~60 million.

Alas, we live in the world where untold thousands died needlessly due to Bush's wars after 9/11 and we got Trump just in time for the worst pandemic in 102 years.

Thousands died needlessly because of both men's poor leadership amid a hurricane, but we like to forget Maria.