Michael+Davenport

By: Michael Davenport
 * George H. W. Bush**

George H. W. Bush. Today, the name Bush alone is enough to instill anger in the heart of almost every American you'll meet, thanks to George H. W.'s son. Sadly, those of whom are not old enough to remember Big Bush might think that he was just as much of a failure as Little Bush was. This isn't the case. Papa Bush did a much better job than one might think. That being said, however, it wasn't perfect. Around March, 1991, Bush's approval rating peaked at 90%, and his disapproval rating dropped below 10% (Wikipedia). Those are ratings that any President who's come after him can only dream about. Unfortunately, due to a democratic-controlled congress convinced that the only way to fix the deficit was to raise taxes, Bush was forced to fold to their demands, leading to a sharp drop in his approval rating shortly thereafter. As a result, the deficit remained over $200 billion throughout his presidency, and he never fully recovered, despite such a strong start. For a struggling town like Odessa, the grudge is understandable. With their economy already beyond failing, higher taxes would be the straw that broke the horse's back.

George H. W. Bush - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. 22 August 2009.

By: Michael Davenport
 * H. G. Bissinger**

Mr. Bissinger is an interesting individual, full of life despite his rapid approach to the big six-oh. He started out as a journalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, winning a Pulitzer for writing a story on the corruption of the Philedelphia court system (Wikipedia). Later, he had an article about Stephen Glass from 1998 turned into a film in 2003. This is all child's play, however, next to his real work - Friday Night Lights. He spent an entire year in the town of Odessa, TX, for the sole purpose of following the Permian High School Football Team, the goal being to capture their essence. To capture what makes them tick. To capture the real, gritty feel of living in a town where bottom of the barrel is usually the best there is to offer. At the age of 40, that's not easy when you come from a city like Philedelphia. He wrote Friday Night Lights from this experience as a non-fiction novel, published it in 1990, and it's still being printed today.

H. G. Bissinger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. 22 August 2009. Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. 22 August 2009. Biography of Buzz Bissinger | Highly Acclaimed American Author and Journalist. Buzz Bissinger The Official Site. Web. 22 August 2009.