Summary:
George Herbert Walker Bush was born into a wealthy family in Milton, Massachusetts on June 12, 1924. Bush's strengths were his skills as a crisis manager and administrator and at times his ability to be a legislative and political coalition builder, while his weaknesses were his failure to be a good moral builder, recruiter, and priority setter.
George Herbert Walker Bush was born into a wealthy family in Milton, Massachusetts on June 12, 1924. He had a happy childhood and went on to marry Barbara, his high school sweetheart. After high school he enrolled in the Navy to fight in WWII. After the war he attended Yale University, which led him to Texas where he became an oil tycoon and later a U.S. Congressmen. He became ambassador to the U.N. and also to China before becoming the C.I.A. director. These experiences propelled him to become the Vice President under Ronald Reagan and then later, become the 41st President of the United States defeating Michael Dukakis. Bush, through his efficacious negative campaign ads, successfully beat the favorite in the presidential election of 1988. Bush's strengths were his skills as a crisis manager and administrator and at times his ability to be a legislative and political coalition builder, while his weaknesses were his failure to be a good moral builder, recruiter, and priority setter.
Bush did exceedingly well with his ability to remain calm during times of crisis. He handled the fragile fall of communism with dignity and respect for what remained of the Soviet Union allowing communism to fall peacefully. He met several times with Mikhail Gorbachev, the first time agreeing to keep the U.S. distant in return for the Soviet Union refraining from violently overthrowing other anti-communist countries. He later signed the START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and START II, which aimed at reducing nuclear weapons in both countries. He contained his happiness when East Germany opened and knocked down the Berlin Wall. He also handled the situation regarding the belligerent Panamanian leader Noreiga's refusal to give up his position and his violent attacks and threats on American lives. Bush sent troops and in one day liberated the country and put in place its rightful democratically elected leaders. Lastly, he handled the Gulf War with great caution and effectively aided the Kuwaitis fighting the invading country of Iraq strictly following U.N. instructions. Bush's leadership and experience allowed him to be an efficacious president with regards to foreign diplomacy.
He was successful as an administrator and in coordinating and convincing the legislative bodies to follow his suggestions due to his experience as an ambassador, congressman, vice president, and C.I.A. director. He succeeded as an administrator due to his diligence and willingness to follow through with his decisions. As a powerful administrator he was able to successfully pass the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, amend the Clean Air Act of 1970, and pass the NAFTA treaty. The Clean Air Act showed Bush's dedication to the environment and was directed at trying to prevent global warming. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) allowed the North and South American countries the ability to freely trade with each other, greatly improving their economies. His only failure was his inability to convince Congress to pass the Flag Desecration Amendment, which was his first act in office. He felt especially sensitive to this bill because he found it so offensive for people to desecrate the U.S. flag, the same one he fought for in World War II.
Bush's failure to build morale on some important issues as well as his poor choices priorities severely hurt his approval rating and led to his failure to get re-elected to a second term. Although Bush maintained a good morale concerning the Gulf War and the fall of Communism, his decision to revoke his campaign promise regarding taxes and his failure to improve the economy caused his popularity to stagnate and plummet. He focused more on trying to get his Flag Desecration Amendment passed rather than focusing on saving the economy and reducing the national deficit. His campaign promise "Read my lips, no new taxes" resonated with the voters but was a promise he could not keep. His failure to decrease the national debt and the unemployment rate continued to worsen his approval rating while the Japanese were continuing to creep in on American business. He barely succeeded in having his appointment to the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas approved by Congress after Anita Hill accused him of sexual harassment. He did try to have an inclusive administration but was not very successful at cooperating as a bipartisan, which can be seen through his failure to get his economic policies passed in Congress due to the democratic opposition.
All and all, George Herbert Walker Bush, despite his failures, managed to help the country by being an excellent crisis manager and administrator. The success of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act greatly resonated with the American people and has had an enduring legacy that affected the life of one handicapped man petitioning to join the PGA tour but was prohibited by PGA rules to use a wheelchair. The Supreme Court voted in favor of the athlete due to the Americans with Disabilities act and he went on to become a regular PGA competitor. Although he failed to get reelected, his enduring legacies can still be seen today and have contributed to the successful administrations of his successors.
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