Bush highlights former life as a CEO in America Online chat Visits AOL campus as part of pre-primary swing through Virginia DULLES, Virginia (CNN) -- Texas Gov. George W. Bush spent an hour chatting with America Online users from the online service provider's sprawling Dulles, Virginia, campus on Friday afternoon -- where he juggled questions from all over the country, and from a large assembled audience of AOL employees. Bush's visit to AOL's Northern Virginia headquarters was just one of many stops during a whirlwind tour of the entire state on Friday. Virginia's Republican primary takes place next Tuesday. The lengthy chat followed a stressful Thursday for the Texas governor. Bush spent the previous day back home in the Texas state capital, Austin, where he considered the case of death row inmate Betty Lou Beets, who was convicted of killing one of her five husbands, and was suspected in the death of another. Bush refused to grant a 30-day stay of execution for Beets Thursday night. She was executed by lethal injection less than an hour later. The GOP presidential hopeful also had to cope with the sudden hospitalization of his father -- former President George W. Bush -- on Thursday night, and, he told the audience Friday, the death of his favorite cat, "Cowboy." Nonetheless, Bush appeared to be relaxed and in high spirits Friday, and willfully took on questions that covered a variety of subjects. Throughout the chat, Bush often returned to his latest campaign phrase, "a reformer with results," but added a new twist -- he played up his experience as a chief executive officer. That experience, Bush said, marked him as the most viable candidate for the presidency. Prior to entering politics, Bush ran a small Texas oil company, and was managing general partner of the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball club. "There is a big difference between someone who has been in the legislative branch, and someone who has been in the executive branch," Bush said in a subtle jab at his bitter rival, Arizona Sen. John McCain. "An executive is held accountable for results." The reply was prompted by a quick online survey of AOL users, initiated shortly after the chat began. AOL asked its users to vote on the qualities they thought might best suit a successful presidential candidate. Within 30 seconds, the results were in -- some 51 percent replied that a candidate who had held a state governorship might best be suited for the presidency. "And having been a chief executive officer," Bush interjected. "If results aren't good, a group of voters will hold me responsible for results." Sticks to national campaign strategy Bush, quizzed by AOL employees gathered in a large studio at the service provider's suburban Washington facilities, said, as he has many times in recent days, that he was confident his national campaign strategy would pay off, despite setbacks to McCain in New Hampshire, Michigan and Arizona. "We've got a strategy," he said. "What a chief executive officer does is have a long-term plan. "Our plan is to run in every state." Bush said he remained convinced, "as sure as I'm sitting here," that he would become the Republican Party's presidential nominee this summer, and that he would eventually win the White House. "One thing about this (long) process," Bush continued, "is that you'll get to know me. People will learn what is in my heart. And, I will learn about myself." The Texas governor predicted he would win the Virginia primary, where the winner claims all 66 delegates, no matter what the final vote count. "I'm looking for a one-vote victory these days," he quipped. In addition, he counted his home state and the state governed by his brother Jeb, Florida, as his "safety" states. The tone of Bush's chat ranged from broad issues-based discussions -- including audience queries on gun control, taxes and Social Security -- to lighter subjects, such as the governor's preferences in pets, and his taste in music. A comparatively small amount of questions were chosen from those that flowed in from AOL's text chat operation. Rather, many of the questions posed of Bush were presented by members of the live audience. Online users were given the opportunity to vote in a series of "pop" surveys, which lasted some 30 seconds. The results were then presented to Bush, who commented on each. Asked to reveal how many pets he owned, Bush spoke of three cats -- including the recently departed Cowboy -- and one dog. AOL chat participants had guessed -- overwhelmingly -- that Bush was a "dog person." The challenge of the Internet Bush praised AOL's "entrepreneurial spirit" often throughout the event, saying he "understood" the rigors, demands and uncertainties of the blooming information age. Those uncertainties, he cautioned, could include stepped-up efforts by terrorists to disrupt life in the continental United States. The Internet, Bush said, has already changed the character of the American political process -- through increased fund-raising capabilities, and through more intimate contact with voters. "One of the dangers of the Internet is that it could create culture clashes," Bush said, defining such clashes as conflicts sparked by the increased dissemination of American popular culture via easily accessible electronic means. "There are still people out there who hate America," he said. "Hacking is one of the greatest threats of terrorism there is." Aside from hacking, Bush continued, is the threat of acts of violence on American soil. The United States must establish a defense infrastructure based on electronic security and crack intelligence efforts to stop any terrorists before they commit violent acts, Bush said. And speaking of that popular culture, Bush had harsh words for Fox Television's controversial "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" program. His ire was induced by a hypothetical question that focused on a declaration by one of Bush's 18-year-old twin daughters that she planned to appear on such a show. While Bush refused to bring either of his daughters into the conversation, he became animated when speaking of the oft-criticized television program. "That show -- it's ridiculous," Bush exclaimed. "What kind of society is it?" Bush said that as president, he would "blow the whistle on a popular culture where people show up on TV to get married."