The Tumultuous Presidency of George H.W. Bush (1989-1993) | Full Doc | American Experience PBS

He won a war — then lost an election. When George. H.W. Bush left the Oval Office in 1993, rejected after one tumultuous presidential term, his 30-year career in public service came to an abrupt and unexpected end. Despite soaring approval ratings following military victory in the Persian Gulf, his years as president after the war were marked by almost unrelieved decline. A sluggish economy and an earlier decision to raise taxes, despite an explicit campaign oath, led to his defeat. By the end of his term many observers dismissed him as an artifact of an irrelevant Cold War past. GEORGE H.W. BUSH reveals the 41st president as a pivotal player during a critical moment in U.S. and world history and in a powerful political dynasty, drawing upon unparalleled access to figures in George H.W. Bush’s private and public life, his personal letters, and interviews with his advisors and critics, including First Lady Barbara Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Mikhail Gorbachev, and more. PART TWO explores George Bush’s one term as president, from the highest approval rating ever recorded at the time to the most dramatic rejection of a sitting President in more than eighty years. Watch PART ONE:    • The Political Rise of George H.W. Bush (19...   Official Website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe... | #ThePresidentsPBS © 2008 WGBH Educational Foundation 00:00 Introduction: The Last “Wise Man” 2:48 Crisis in the Gulf: Operation Desert Shield 13:02 Life at Kennebunkport 16:56 George H.W. Bush vs. Saddam Hussein 21:20 Conservative Backlash to Bush’s Budget 30:56 Operation Desert Storm and Bush’s Record-Breaking Approval Rating 40:05 After the Gulf War 45:31 The Steady Decline of George H.W. Bush’s Presidency 53:04 Bush, Gorbachev, and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union 55:56 Bush’s Brutal 1992 Re-Election Campaign 01:08:56 How Bill Clinton Won the White House 01:13:25 Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited: George H. W. Bush Post-Presidency #GeorgeHWBush #GeorgeBush #History #Documentary #Presidents #MargaretThatcher #DickCheney #NewtGingrich #ColinPowell #SaddamHussein #GulfWar #ClarenceThomas #BillClinton This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: https://www.pbs.org/donate Subscribe to the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE channel for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/AmericanExp... Enjoy full episodes of your favorite AMERICAN EXPERIENCE shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR FOLLOW AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Newsletter: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe... Facebook:   / americanexperiencepbs   Instagram:   / americanexperiencepbs   Threads: https://www.threads.net/@americanexpe...