Chapter 19 Summary and Analysis

George H.W. puts together his presidential campaign. He spends a year organizing and conducting the campaign, focusing on the first primary elections of Iowa and New Hampshire. His major opponent is Ronald Reagan. During the campaign, Bush makes very negative comments about Reagan. During formal debates, however, Bush is unable to overcome the pressure and appears weak. He slowly loses his lead in the polls and has to drop out of the election. Reagan chooses Bush to be his running mate despite his personal dislike of Bush. The two win the election in 1980 and enter Washington with strong personal dislike and political distance between them.

The Bushes are very acquiescent to the Reagans and always follow whatever the President and First Lady want. This creates an image of George as a very weak person. At the same time, George brings...