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George H.W. Bush, 1924-2018
When President Ronald Reagan neared the end of his second term, the Republican Party looked to select his potential successor. Although George H. W. Bush had served as Reagan's "model vice president," some perceived him as a "wimp" who lacked a strong identity, despite his past high-profile positions. Bush, however, transformed himself on the campaign trail. As the photographer Arthur Grace noted, Bush, who had been awkward and cumbersome, now "stood a little straighter, moved with a bit more grace."
This photograph, from April 16, 1987, was taken while Bush was stumping in Keene, a small city in New Hampshire. He and his wife, Barbara, regularly visited the state prior to the 1988 primaries. They held rallies, mingled with locals in coffee shops, and stopped by schools in an effort to sway votes in Bush's favor. The strategy worked. Bush went on to win the Republican nomination, defeating Senator Bob Dole.
Arthur Grace, 1987 (printed 2010) |