[mburbank]

"When quizzed by NBC anchor Tom Brokaw about his choice of Jesus as his favorite political philosopher, Bush responded: "When you accept Christ as your savior, it changes your heart, it changes your life."
-Businessweek

"GOP presidential candidates name the philosopher or thinker who had the most influence on their lives, as asked during Monday night’s debate.

Steve Forbes: John Locke and Thomas Jefferson.
Alan Keyes: The Founding Fathers.
Gov. George W. Bush: Jesus Christ.
Sen. Orrin Hatch: Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan and Jesus Christ.
Sen. John McCain: Founding Fathers and Theodore Roosevelt.
Gary Bauer: Jesus Christ."
-abcnews.com

"Mr. Bush is not a great debater. He hasn't even shown himself to be a good debater. In the primary debates he looked like he was sliding down in his chair so teacher wouldn't notice him. And when he tried to speak candidly, saying for instance that Jesus was his favorite philosopher, he couldn't explain why except to assert that Christ had changed his heart, which seemed both believable and inadequate."
-Peggy Noonan

"George W. Bush cited Jesus as his favorite political philosopher."
Joseph Loconte, American Heritage Foundation

"The question was posed by the moderator at an early Republican presidential debate in 1999: "Who is your favorite political philosopher?" George W. Bush surprised, if not stunned, his fellow candidates when he tersely declared, "Jesus Christ, because he changed my life."
-Douglas Groothuis, ChristianityToday.com