Description:

Bush George H. W.

George H.W. Bush, As VP, Writes Journalist Steven Ben Cramer Re: Future Bestseller What It Takes: The Way to the White House

1p TLS signed by sitting Vice President George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) as "George Bush" in felt tip pen at lower right. Dated August 26, 1988. On watermarked cream stationery with "George Bush" letterhead topped by a gilt embossed presidential seal. Expected light paper folds and a tiny closed tear in the lower right corner, else near fine. 6.375" x 8.375".

In Vice President Bush's remarkable letter to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Kramer (1950-2013), the recently nominated Republican presidential candidate declines Kramer's request to closely shadow his political campaign for the purposes of writing a "history." This "history" would later become a 1,000+ monograph called What It Takes: The Way to the White House (New York: Random House, 1992). Kramer's bestselling book covering the 1988 presidential election was quickly heralded as an exemplar of exceptional political reportage.

In full:

"Dear Richard:

After reading your letter of August 12, (a letter which impressed me mightily), I have tried to figure out a way to do what you suggest. Regrettably, it simply isn't going to work. The logistics are the problem.

For you to do the 'history' of it all properly, you would need a disproportionate amount of access. Herein lies the rub. It is hard for me to explain to you the time pressures on a candidate at this level of American politics. You would be one more body on the press plane. One more person being herded onto a bus or into a holding room. It would do you no good at all. My decision has nothing to do with leaks or psychobabble. In your case, I have no fear whatsoever.

All the Bushes have great respect for you, particularly my skeptical, hard-to-impress sister who is not ready to sign on as your campaign manager.

Come back soon for horseshoes. Come back as a 5th son. Or come back as a skeptical historian. The Bush welcome mat is out.

Warm regards,

[signed] George Bush."

Vice President Bush had won the Republican Party's presidential nomination just a week earlier, at the Republican National Convention in New Orleans (held August 15-18, 1988). He and running mate Dan Quayle (then an Indiana Senator) would win the general presidential election four months later, on November 8, 1988. The Bush/Quayle ticket defeated Democrats Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen by over 300 Electoral College votes and over 7% of the popular vote.

It took Cramer over four years to complete What It Takes. Despite the difficulties presented by initial press access, Cramer's book presented many insights about the candidates--all of them illuminating, some of them unflattering. The book highlighted six of the 1988 presidential hopefuls: Joe Biden (D); George H.W. Bush (R); Michael Dukakis (D); Bob Dole (R); Dick Gephardt (D); and Gary Hart (D).

Richard Ben Cramer contributed regularly to newspapers and magazines during his early journalistic career. In 1979, he won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, and two years later, he was a finalist in the same category. Cramer continued to write articles, books, and documentaries.

George H.W. Bush's letter to Cramer refers to his entire family as "the Bushes." This included Bush, his three brothers Prescott, Jr., Jonathan, and William aka "Bucky", sister Nancy, and Cramer as an honorary "5th son"!

 This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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