President Bush, an accomplished and eager campaigner, is all dressed up with nowhere to go.
Thanks to a basement-level approval rating, fellow-Republicans have spurned the man who has controlled the White House for them these last eight years. Even at his party's biggest party in Minnesota, Bush seemed sequestered at the White House. Bush's presence was limited to eight minutes via satellite, and he didn't even garner a mention by name in John McCain's RNC speech.
The President's political calendar is empty, while the likes of Mitt Romney have events scheduled for every week until the election. And unlike in 2000, when other Democrats did not follow Al Gore's lead of rejecting Bill Clinton, Republicans running for offices across the board want to appear independent of Bush.
Even so, Bush is doing his part — he's raised $238 million for the GOP's 2008 efforts at closed-door fundraisers. Are Republicans smart to keep Bush in the shadows?
Forzieri
Its always smart to Hide Bush....Oh wait this is about GW Bush...sorry.
1Since McCain wants to pretend he isn't even a republican and that the past eight disastrous years have nothing to do with republicans.. of course they are going to hide Bush.
2I only wish they started hiding him a long time ago.
3Heee hee hee! "Hide Bush"
4It's a smart move, politically, since McCain needs to distance himself from Bush in order to seem like a maverick who would fix the way things in Bush's Washington are run.
And
steph.
5LOL steph!
I'm getting worn out on politics so I really have nothing to add.
6I'm with you steph...should have done that a long time ago (hide Chaney while they're at it).
7I would have liked there to have been an option that agreed that it was smart to hide Bush, but for different, more cynical reasons. It's smart to hide him because he has been a dismal failure and McCain would love to put distance between the two so that people don't start to catch on to how truly similar their policies are.
8We were watching him make a statement the other day in front of the White House when Brandon turned to me and said, "So, does he just come out of the White House once in a while, talk for two minutes, and go back inside to hide for another two weeks? Is that his job now?" Which is how he's being portrayed lately.
9As someone that staunchly supported Bush in the beginning, and even voted for him in the second election, YES it's a good idea to hide him. The man has let the country down and ESPECIALLY disappointed those of us that supported him so steadfastly. If it were up to me, he would be impeached. What he has done to this country is FAR WORSE than anything Clinton EVER did and yet Clinton was impeached and Bush still stands. He's a flippin' idiot and I'm ashamed that I ever put my faith in him.
That said, McCain's policies are absolutely NOTHING like Bush's except that they both stand on the republican platform.
10mykie fyi get ready to hear a "90%" statement
11They would be dumb not to hide him for a few different reasons. The biggest one, of course, being that his approval ratings are so terrible he would do very little good at best and would hurt McCain immensly at worst. Also, the Republicans can't possibly justify the Bush regime and are trying to put some distance between the two. An added benefit is with the Obama camp drawing comparisons between Bush and McCain, keeping Bush out of the picture helps discredit that.
Mykie, I feel for you! I felt kind of the same way with Clinton in his second term.
12I think he's doing a great job of hiding all by himself! We have the biggest financial crisis in our country this week, and he gives a 5 minute speech about the state of the economy today in the wee morning hours when half the population is just waking up or asleep.
13And would that not be true, CG, particularly on issues like abortion, judicial appointments, the constitutionality of warrantless wiretaps, the legal rights of Guantanamo detainees, the Bush tax cuts (which he used to oppose), health care, and saving the world from Saddam Hussein?
No, they are not the same person, but there are plenty of similarities, which is another reason why it's quite clever (even if fairly obvious) of his campaign to try to distance himself from Bush as much as possible.
14Very true Adren. It's a catch 22. I want him hide and never come out, yet we need some leadership NOW!
15According to everyone's favorite website factcheck.org (which I never knew of until you guys) - McCain did vote with Bush 95% of the time.
16Mykie, I agreed with everything you said except for your last sentence!! Very well said I might add.
17another good fact website is Politifact.com
18http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/
Exactly, Jude and geebers. Also, here are some clips of Bush and McCain's statements on significant platforms, in their very own words (starting at 4:19) - http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184111
19recent study shows the economy performs better under Democratic president..
Democrats performance in regards to lower inflation, lower unemployment, lower spending, higher surplus vs deficit then republican presidents..
Politicians lie but the numbers do not.
http://www.slate.com/id/2199810/
20I guess just that 10% difference would take Bush from abject failure to best President EVER!!!
21I want him out and about...speak as much as possible as it can only help Barack Obama and Joe Biden!!
22You like factcheck? So does McCain.
"In an ad released Wednesday called -- really -- "Fact Check," the McCain campaign lied about what Factcheck.org said. Says who? Says FactCheck.org.
In "its latest ad, released Sept. 10, the McCain-Palin campaign has altered our message in a fashion we consider less than honest," Factcheck said Wednesday on its website. "The ad strives to convey the message that FactCheck.org said 'completely false' attacks on Gov. Sarah Palin had come from Sen. Barack Obama. We said no such thing. We have yet to dispute any claim from the Obama campaign about Palin."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=301...
23CG - I was prepared for it, which is why I will not respond to more rhetoric and lies. The numbers speak for themselves.
On my blog I have posted the link to a site that shows the current poll standings within the US. Last week Obama was up 18 points over McCain. This week he's up only 8. Obamas numbers fell and McCains increased.
Those are numbers I stand by.
24GirlA - It would be nice if we had some leadership in the Senate as well...
25Sure, leadership everywhere sure would be stellar, but we're supposed to be able to turn to our Commander in Chief for a direction; to give us hope and offer something of value.
26(but i certainly wasn't arguing with you dave)
27Yes, Bush should be hidden. But Mykie is right. It's so annoying for people to keep comparing McCain to Bush. McCain only voted with Bush 90% of the time during a very narrow time frame. His views differ from Bush in many ways!
28they'd be dumb not to. but in my opinion, they're the same thing and hiding bush will not hide that fact from me.
29I think the furthest McCain has gotten from Bush in recent years is 88% - that's still to close. Can you actually offer any real, substance differences between McCain and Bush?
30"Even so, Bush is doing his part — he's raised $238 million for the GOP's 2008 efforts at closed-door fundraisers."
-I read this and it made me think, I wonder how did he raise so much money for the (grand old party) and to run for president...meanwhile it's left up to celebrities to donate and coerce us to give our scarce money for cancer research, MDA, the American Red Cross and Katrina...just to name a few.
How does that make sense? Other countries must read this and think we are crazy.
***The Republicans who were firmly fixed into the Federal Government were ironically dubbed the "Gallant Old Party," which soon became known as the "Grand Old Party," which was then shortened to the "GOP."
31'to run for president'...too clarify I mean when they ALL run for president... sorry.
32"I read this and it made me think, I wonder how did he raise so much money for the (grand old party) and to run for president...meanwhile it's left up to celebrities to donate and coerce us to give our scarce money for cancer research, MDA, the American Red Cross and Katrina...just to name a few."
It's left up to us to donate to charities of our choice. That's the beauty of having our money in our hands, and not the governments. When the government has control over it, they use it in ways we disagree with. That's why we want less government.
33That wasn't my point although it's valid...
My point is, why is it that Bush can raise money for the GOP and not for money when we have a crisis or for disease research?
And most of us don't have the money in our hands, that's why we are suffering to cover health insurance.
34Stephley, torture, going to war with Iraq, global warming, immigration and closing Guantanimo come to mind off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others, and I recall seeing a statistic that piut his votes with push somewhere around 73%, but to be honest I don't remember where.
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