Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson

A President and a Gentleman

Haley Barbour and C. Boyden Gray reminisce about the life and legacy of George H. W. Bush's presidency and how future generations will remember him.

Uncommon Knowledge with Peter RobinsonDecember 18, 2018
A President and a Gentleman

Recorded on December 5, 2018.

As the country mourns the passing of President George H. W. Bush, C Boyden Gray and Haley Barbour join Peter Robinson to discuss fond memories of his leadership, friendship, humility, and legacy. They discuss the 41st President’s involvement in the Clean Air Act, the reputational teeter totter the public had with him and Reagan, and his foreign policy decisions.

They talk about Kuwait and the first Persian Gulf war and speculate that if President Bush had decided to go after Saddam Hussein then the Iraq War in the 2000s could have been avoided. They argue that President Bush took foreign policy in a good direction for the United States in the wake of the Cold War. They go into detailed analysis about President Bush, the issues he faced, and how he worked for peaceful negotiations, and was grace under fire.

President George H. W. Bush was a gentleman of a past generation, says Robinson. They discuss whether or not being a gentleman is still something to aspire to in politics and in the office of the president.

Cast

Haley Barbour

Haley Barbour

C. Boyden Gray

C. Boyden Gray

Related

Event

The Russia-DPRK Alliance & the Development of the Military-Economic Complex in North Korea

The Hoover History Lab and Northeast Asia History Working Group hosted The Russia-DPRK Alliance & the Development of the Military-Economic Complex in North Korea on April 1, 2026.

September 23, 2026

Videos

Russia: Repression, War, And Prospects For Freedom

H.R. McMaster and Vladimir Kara-Murza discuss the state of the war in Ukraine, the prospects and perils facing Russia's opposition, the shifting currents of Russian domestic politics, the effort to organize the Russian diaspora into a coherent political force, and prospects of a post-Putin Russia.

September 23, 2026

Videos

Energy Realism In An Age Of Climate Alarmism

Rising energy demand makes energy pragmatism—not climate alarmism—more essential than ever to secure abundant, reliable, sustainable power while remaining environmentally responsible.

September 22, 2026 • 4 Min Watch