The following editorial appeared in the Dallas Morning News on Friday, Nov. 5:

Winning provides you the opportunity to be gracious in victory, and, often, by giving up a little, you can get much more in return.

President Bush should remember that as he outlines what his foreign policy will look like in his second term. He should also keep in mind the example of Ronald Reagan, who, in his second term, shifted his foreign policy focus away from simply trying to satisfy his hard-line, Cold War base to negotiating arms treaties with Mikhail Gorbachev.

Many Americans see Bush as a steady leader who can be trusted to keep the nation safe even in perilous times, like how they viewed President Reagan. But in the eyes of much of the world, Bush is a reckless cowboy with a hair trigger and a tendency to go it alone. With his re-election, Bush has the luxury of finally being able to correct that impression, admit mistakes and make changes.

Bush has proved that he can serve ably as a wartime president. But there is work to be done on the diplomatic front. In the Middle East, the impending death of Yasser Arafat probably will provide the president with a legitimate negotiating partner on the Palestinian side. This should lead to a vigorous re-opening of the peace process, and with enough pressure on both sides, to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

With regard to Iran and North Korea, there needs to be a continued emphasis on building coalitions to isolate these rogue states. And with regard to the unfinished business of Afghanistan and Iraq, it would serve us well to correct our mistakes even while taking pride in all that was accomplished in bringing the light of freedom to places that had been dark for too long.

These are challenging times. And, all in all, President Bush has been a good leader on the international stage. Now he needs to show the world that he can be a great one.

Copy the Story Link