in these days and weeks following the
death of President George HW Bush his
legacy is taking shape as we look back
on his time as leader of the free world
and as we look beyond his service to the
country here to talk about that is dr.
Matt Corrigan is a political science
professor at the University of North
Florida thanks so much
good morning with us this morning now
you are quite the expert on the bushes
you've written several Bush's books
about the bushes tell us what do you
think is the most important mark that
President George HW Bush left on our
country I think two things one how he
navigated the end of the Cold War if you
think about how the Cold War ended with
the fall of the Berlin Wall with the
Soviet Union becoming Russia it happened
peacefully I can't think of another
parallel in history where that big of an
empire kind of basically stopped
existing in a peaceful manner he helped
negotiate that he didn't blow it really
was a situation where he put the United
States really in the back seat to make
sure that it was peacefully done and we
are so politically divided in this
country right now from the top all the
way down to the bottom it seems and
we're hearing a lot about his ability to
look beyond political affiliation does
that really stand out to you right now
it does and you know I don't think we
can you know completely say he wasn't a
political animal he was I mean he could
be tough politically in the 1988
election he he took on Bob Dole and made
sure that people understood the
differences between the two men but I
think really where he emerged and stood
out and this manner of civility is after
his presidency he lost the presidency to
Bill Clinton that's got to be the most
crushing thing a person can go through
you know as a politician when you know
you have a loss your name is up there
it's not your company it's not anyone
else
it's Bush losses and he was able to
establish a great relationship with Bill
Clinton it's a great example for the
rest of us that we can talk
on party lines and they actually became
very close and in a lot of ways he
became the leader of the post presidents
everywhere all the presidents looked up
to him
well I remember too he was very careful
not to criticize I mean he's backed off
right he's like I don't have anything to
say you know yeah and and I think that
was a good tradition that he really
helped to implement and start presidents
rope has a hasn't done that I mean he's
gone after the bushes he's gone after
the Clintons he's obviously gone after
President Obama and I think that's
unfortunate
yeah well he has a different leadership
style for sure and I'm curious what your
students are thinking about this and the
impact that this death may have on your
students because you know you and I were
alive for his presidency we remember how
it affected our lives but when a leader
dies like this it's really a great
opportunity to give young people a
perspective on history yeah it is and
and you know you make a good point you
know but the students at UNF a lot of
them 18 to 22 you know weren't alive
during the first Bush's presidency and
so you know I don't think they
understand you know how the world has
changed so dramatically and the fact
that you know during the Cold War we
were really concerned that the Soviet
Union might attack the United States and
we no longer have that concern in some
ways obviously there are problems with
with Russia going on now but yes I think
it's really important that students get
that sense of history because I think in
in lots of ways as a country we lose our
history in a lot of ways and and we need
to understand where we came from and you
know what I'd like to know is what drew
you to study the Bush family and to
write about the Bush family yeah I think
looking at American democracy the
question is you know does everyone have
a chance to be a leader and having you
know two presidents from one family has
only happened one other time in our
history with the Adams family and I just
found it that was fascinating and of
course Jeb Bush tried to become the
third president and so when you look at
that family and you look at the impact
that made on the country it's really
incredible
there's really one simple decision
remember George Bush was from
Connecticut he went to Yale he made that
decision to move to Texas and it changed
American politics because basically
became president his two sons governor
Texas governor of Florida changed
American politics forever do you think
perhaps we talked about how what a
family man he is that he that his
stature as a mentor to his sons is is
really what wanted them to get into
politics you know his leadership sure
family and I think that's probably to me
that's one of his best legacies is how
he treated his family how he was really
a symbolic really good father and and
you know the presidency doesn't you know
you don't have that in the Constitution
where it says you've got to be a good
person or a good family person but he
really showed that and and again I think
that was an important symbol for the
nation and some that we've kind of lost
all right well dr. Matt Corrigan from
UNF thank you so much for joining us
this morning for your insight