The Christian Right’s Dream Candidate

[napi21]

There’s one politician the Christian right could get excited about: John Ellis (Jeb) Bush. But he’s not running—surely in part because the Bush brand has been so badly tarnished by the Iraq misadventure. A handoff from brother George would have been easy—if only the president had stayed focused on finding Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan rather than rushing off to invade Iraq. But for his brother’s mess, Jeb would be a formidable candidate.

He’s still a likely contender at some point—maybe even as a vice presidential pick in ’08. He can raise money, he has a Mexican-born wife who could help with California, and he can deliver Florida. The restoration is premised on the Republican nominee needing the credibility with the religious right that Jeb could bring. The Bush family seems to be moving its chips to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Several of Jeb’s gubernatorial staffers have signed on with Romney, and Jeb’s sister, Doro Bush Koch, is cohosting a fund-raiser for him. Mom and Dad are reportedly telling friends he’s a fine man and the class act in the race. With front runner John McCain faltering and Rudy Giuliani an unlikely fit with Republican primary voters, Romney looks like the Bush Dynasty’s best bet.

(snip)

But the author is undeterred by the skepticism. He says it is “inevitable” Jeb will run for president, though he admits ’08 is problematic. Still, if the troops start to come home by the end of this year and the president’s approval ratings start climbing, who knows? Dáte states in The Washington Post piece that John McCain swung by Tallahassee in December 2005 to sound Jeb out about the prospect of running with him, and adds that any Republican candidate would be foolish not to put Jeb on the shortlist. Evangelicals make up a quarter of the country, according to some estimates—and as much as 35 to 45 percent of Republican voters in some states. If anybody has a lock on them, it’s Jeb.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17299697/site/newsweek/

[NEOBuckeye]

1. Yeah, right! Not after the way his brother fucked this country.

Poppy was sobbing at Jeb's farewell address in Florida for a reason. He realizes they put forth the wrong son to carry the family torch. George not only dropped it, but has set the house ablaze in the process. The Bush Dynasty is over.

[HockeyMom]

2. I've heard too many Republicans say,

"No DYNASTY".

[TlalocW]

3. A quarter of the country?

Evangelicals are 7% of the country, and that's remained unchanged since the early 1990s.

TlalocW

[Warpy]

4. I don't think so.

Brownback is the only one who's enough of a fundegelical nightmare to have a lock on the Calvinist vote.

Jebbie did all the right sort of pandering, but not even the fundies are nuts enough to want another Bush in office.

My guess is that they'll run a sacrificial candidate in 08 and save Jebbie for 12.

[KansDem]

5. What's Bob Dole up to these days?

My guess is that they'll run a sacrificial candidate in 08 and save Jebbie for 12.

He was their sacrifice in 1976 and 1996. The GOP ran a Bush on its national ticket in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2004, so your thesis has merit. Sacrifice a GOPer in 2008 and bring up yet another Bush in 2012.

I kid my wife about this: she first voted in 1976, 30 years ago, and cringes whenever I mention the fact that the GOP has run either Bob Dole or a member of the Bush family in every election she's voted in.