Presidency

Presidency

President George H.W. Bush and Vice President Sen. Dan Quayle after 1988 election victory

   Bush ran again for Republican presidential nominee and this time won.  Although some scorned him for his shift in political stances since Reagan, he managed to win.  His most famous line in his nomination acceptance speech was, "Read my lips: No new taxes."  In 1988 Bush went on to win the presidency defeating Democrat nominee Michael Dukakis.  

Bush shows his Texan spirit with his American cowboy boots.

President George H.W. Bush takes the oath as President.

After the inauguration ceremony, the Reagans walk arm in arm with the new president and first lady.

   By the second half of his term as president, the Cold war was slowly winding down.  Bush met with Soviet Union Gorbachev to discuss some agreements regarding nuclear weapons.  Gorbachev assured Bush that they would never go to nuclear war with the U.S. and claimed that they only looked for peace.  Bush and Gorbachev finally signed a treaty called START 1 that outlined the U.S. and Soviet Union future plans to decrease the number of nuclear weapons by 35% over the next seven years.  This treaty contributed much to the end of the Cold war.

  Bush also removed dictator Manuel Noriega of Panama.  The plan to remove him from power began with the Reagan Administration as they stopped all payments and funds to Panama.  However only Bush was able to remove Noriega from power.  

  In Kuwait, Bush pushed Iraqian  Saddam Hussein from invading.  He used military force to stop Hussein's nuclear plans and push him out of oil-rich Kuwait.  In the Gulf War Bush managed to protect Kuwait and at the same there were minimal American soldiers' deaths.
  Although Bush brought himself popularity because of his many these positive international actions, the economy was not doing so well and the blame was put on him.  America was going through a long recession and Bush had to recant his famous lines, "no new taxes."  He was unwilling to give more unemployment benefits for fear of increasing the national debt.  He lost lots of favor and voters in the next election and was defeated by Democrat Bill Clinton(there was a third party runner Ross Perot).

Presidential debate Bush v. Perot v. Clinton (1992)