Florida lumber dealer named as finalist to interview President Bush

Don Magruder, CEO of Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply in Leesburg, Fla., has been chosen as one of five finalists in a national contest to interview former President George W. Bush about his upcoming memoir, “Decision Points.”

Magruder and the other four finalists were picked from among 3,100 entries who also submitted five questions to ask President Bush. The top 100 finalists were then asked to upload a two-minute video explaining why they are the most qualified to conduct the citizen interview.

If selected, Magruder will receive a round-trip airfare to Dallas; the opportunity to interview Bush about his book; and a personalized, signed copy of “Decision Points.”

Magruder, who operates a five-location LBM chain in Central Florida, proposed the following questions:

• Was there ever a time in which a political decision was made for the good of all that hurt a political friend? • At any point in your presidency did you wish you had never run for office? • After making tough decisions, how did you handle self doubt? • During your term and afterwards, you have been reluctant to defend yourself. Do you believe history will ultimately judge you better? • Did hard decisions while in office bring you to a point of questioning God?

In his video, Magruder stressed the importance of discussing President Bush’s choices within a historical context in order to find out the reasons behind certain policy decisions.

“I think to ask questions like ‘Why did you make this certain decision?’ is pointless. The decisions were made, and it has been hashed over many times. What’s more important to me, and I think a lot of Americans, is learning what were the historical circumstances, political environment and who were the people involved. That’s a story that has not been told yet.”

Magruder’s video has been posted on President Bush’s official Facebook page; the video that receives the most votes will win the contest. The deadline is Saturday, Nov. 6.

To vote for Magruder, visit the George W. Bush Facebook page and click “Like” in order to vote. Find the tab that says “Video Contest” to view the entries and voting selections. Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply also has a link to the page posted on its website.