George H.W. Bush raised taxes in violation of his campaign promise, clashed publicly with Israel, and then lost a presidential election to a Democrat. The mainstream press coverage of him in connection with his death has been remarkably adulatory. As Michael Goodwin puts it in the New York Post, observing that a similar phenomenon applied to Senator McCain: "It all just goes to prove that Democrats and their media handmaidens really do love Republicans — when they're dead."
I do give George H.W. Bush and Barbara credit for raising, in George W. Bush, a president who, while certainly imperfect, arguably exceeded his father's accomplishments. And for raising, in Jeb Bush, a pretty good governor of Florida. If all George H.W. Bush had done in his life had been to be the father of a two-term president and of the governor of Florida, it would have been an impressive achievement.
I'd also note that I have a friend who gets around in an electric wheelchair who is grateful to Bush for signing the Americans With Disabilities Act into law. Many readers of this site probably view that law, with some justification, as an exercise in federal regulatory overreach that was an invitation to excessive litigation. But, as with many things, it depends on where you sit.
