George Herbert Walker Bush (June 12, 1924 – November 30, 2018) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. A member of the Republican Party, Bush also served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, as Director of Central Intelligence, and as the 43rd vice president. Biographer Jon Meacham writes that 'no evidence was ever produced proving Bush was aware of the diversion to the contras,' but he criticizes Bush's 'out of the loop' characterization, writing that the 'record is clear that Bush was aware that the United States, in contravention of its own stated policy, was trading arms for hostages'. The Iran–Contra scandal, as it became known, did serious damage to the Reagan presidency, raising questions about Reagan's competency. With help from Governor John H. Sununu and an effective campaign attacking Dole for raising taxes, Bush overcame an initial polling deficit and won New Hampshire with 39 percent of the vote.
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