I would say that the Bushes were “reach across the aisle” types.
The Bushes are a special case, since they aroused such uncontrolled *hatred* despite bending over for the left on numerous occasions; furthermore, Dubya *did* appoint a couple of decent Supreme Court justices, despite passing over Brown, and pushing Meiers at one point.
But letting Ted Kennedy write the education bill, Medicare Part D, the very phrase "compassionate conservatism," never replying to criticism ("Bush lied, people died," "Plamegate") and spending like a drunken sailor directly brought us Obama.
For some reason this, coupled with the "Wouldn't be...prudent" line from Bush '41, which amounted to his throwing the election to Clinton, brings to mind a pseudo-Star Wars line: "I will serve the Democrats, like my Father before me."
Makes me wonder if there was some really *awful* dirt on the family which amounted to a form of political Mutally Assured Destruction, which they were threatened with.
Cheers!