President George Herbert Walker Bush dead at 94

Obituary

Related: God Bless Bob Dole

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, age 95, is helped out of his wheelchair to stand and salute the casket of former President George H. W. Bush in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington D.C., Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. (Due to his war injuries, Sen. Dole is physically unable to give a right-handed salute.)

References to George H. W. Bush on this site

At the time of George H. W. Bush’s election as president in 1988, I was a graduate student at the University of Maine, still in the early stages of developing my political psychology personality profiling methods. Hence, there are few references to “Bush 41” on this site, based purely on informal observation; my first empirical study of a U.S. president dealt with Bill Clinton.

Based purely on informal observation, I believe that, were I to conduct an empirical analysis of “Bush 41,” his personality composite would be revealed as Conscientious-Accommodating — a personality amalgam that I have characterized as the “conscientious conciliator.”

This Conscientious–Accommodating blend, which the literature on personality types describes as the most well-adjusted of all Conscientious personality variants, yields a duty-bound, “play-by-the-rules” personality style that is earnest, hardworking, meticulous, and gracious.

Position Statement on National Security (July 23, 2008)

Sen. Chuck Hagel and Aubrey Immelman

Prior to the invasion [of Iraq in 2003], we had in place a very successful containment policy against Iraqi aggression, instituted by the first President Bush after the first Gulf War. By keeping Saddam Hussein in power, in concert with a vigorous weapons inspection regime and enforcement of no-fly zones, President George H. W. Bush preserved a delicate balance of power between Iran and Iraq in one of the world’s most volatile regions, the Middle East. …

Jeb Bush’s Personality Profile (Aug. 2, 2015)

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It isn’t always easy being the son and brother of past presidents. Ask Jeb Bush.

In June, former Florida Gov. John Ellis Bush, who goes by the nickname Jeb, formally announced his presidential run. Being a member of arguably the most prominent political dynasty in American history undoubtedly has its advantages. However, Jeb Bush must also confront the daunting task of differentiating himself from his father, George H. W. Bush, and distancing himself from some of the less admirable aspects of his older brother George W. Bush’s legacy — most notably the invasion of Iraq. …

[Jeb Bush] completed college in two and a half years, is a self-proclaimed policy wonk, and prides himself in working 12–16 hours per day. These attributes reflect his highly conscientiousness personality — similar to the Bush patriarch but in stark contrast to his older brother, who scored quite low on this personality trait. …

Donald Trump’s Leadership Style (Jan. 23, 2017)

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As a “high-dominance charismatic” [Donald] Trump assumes the mantle of leadership with a Clintonian combination of extraversion and self-confidence, buttressed by a level of dominance not seen since Lyndon B. Johnson. In addition, he is practically devoid of his predecessor’s [Barack Obama’s] accommodating disposition … or George H. W. Bush’s prudent conscientiousness. …