I like Pres. Bush, Sr., but I about gagged when he picked Gorbachev and missed Reagan. He always was too affectionate towards the old commie and never liked to talk about the Reagan years. He famously complained that his job was attending funerals, and Reagan did basically shelve him, for good or for ill. I’ve always wondered if this created some resentment.
It was always a marriage of convenience. Reagan was basically trying to satisfy the party guard. The same fools that choose the turn coat in NY23.
This is the reverse that happened when McCain chose Palin. This would be like Palin choosing McCain to make the party feel better.
Bush knew it, and resented it.