Bush, George H.W. (1924–)

THE BUSH FAMILY is one of the preeminent political dynasties in the United States, matched in recent history perhaps only by the Kennedys. George Herbert [Page 563]Walker Bush served as the country's 41st president from 1989 to 1993. While he never truly excited his party, the Republicans, or the American public, he did receive unprecedented approval ratings at the height of the 1991 Persian Gulf crisis. His presidency saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, and also the first major armed conflict of the post-Cold War era. His lack of action in the face of a recession probably cost him a second term. But the Bush dynasty came back with sons George W. Bush, 43rd president, and Jeb Bush, ...