He wasn't stupid, but he sure was out of touch and deluded. He never grasped the fact that the DEMOCRATS WERE HIS ENEMIES! He always tried to play nice with them, and for their part they couldn't wait to stab him in the back.
They succeeded when they suckered him into breaking his tax pledge. They never kept their end of the bargain, and the sole effect of it was to get Bill Clinton elected. It was a master stroke by the Democrats, but wouldn't have worked on anyone half way paying attention to politics.
George HW was really really really out of touch.
And seemingly the scenario keeps repeating over and over....
The libs say something..the Pub's believe it..and the libs lie and do the opposite.
The libs play for keeps...the Pub's just go along to get along. As a friend said to me...they are just "sit and soaks"