But Democrats hope Mr. Bush’s new high profile will help them frame the emerging Republican generation. Mark Mellman, a Democratic strategist, called Mr. Bush’s public tour “great news for Democrats.” He added: “The G.O.P. was lucky he was out of sight and out of mind through Tuesday. His reemergence on the national stage will reinforce voters’ already negative views of the G.O.P.”

With rare exception, like helping out with Haiti earthquake relief at Mr. Obama’s request, Mr. Bush has remained out of sight since leaving office, determined not to complicate his successor’s life with running commentary about current affairs. Even as he begins to promote his new book, “Decision Points,” to be published by Crown on Tuesday, he is avoiding any involvement in the political debate now consuming the country.

In the book, a copy of which was obtained last week by The New York Times, he has nothing but gracious things to say about Mr. Obama and makes little mention of his policy choices other than to praise him for sending more troops to Afghanistan. When Oprah Winfrey tried to get him to weigh in on Sarah Palin’s presidential chances in an interview to be aired later this week, Mr. Bush demurred. “You’re asking me to wade back into the swamp,” he said.

Until now, Mr. Bush has focused on writing the book, along with his ghostwriter and former White House speechwriter, Christopher Michel, as well as giving paid speeches, raising money for his presidential center and designing his public policy institute. After this week’s spurt of interviews with Ms. Winfrey, Matt Lauer and Candy Crowley, he will host a Nov. 16 groundbreaking ceremony for the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

He says he is using the institute to influence policy in his own way. “He doesn’t want to be in the current debate, certainly not the political debate,” said James K. Glassman, executive director of the institute. “He wants to be involved in policy in a big way, but with projects that are very forward looking and long term.”

So will Mr. Bush’s reputation improve with time? Many presidents are viewed more generously in later eras, like Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Even Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon have experienced moments of reassessment, their failures in Vietnam and Watergate tempered by appreciation for the opening to China or the Great Society. Still, their disappointments seem indelibly marked in the history books.