Former President George H.W. Bush died on Friday, December 1, at the age of 94. He served one term as commander in chief, but left behind a significant legacy in American politics and policy. He was both the last president of the generation that served in World War II and one of the last politically influential pragmatists in the Republican Party.
His policy achievements were vast, from domestic affairs — where he was the last president to sign a truly bipartisan “grand bargain” — to his deft foreign policy, including around the Gulf War and the conclusion of the Cold War.
When he lost his race for a second term to Bill Clinton in 1992, he wrote a touching letter to his successor that was widely seen as a reminder of grace in politics.
