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The Simple Reason Why Republican Voters Aren't Settling for Jeb Bush
The Simple Reason Why Republican Voters Aren't Settling for Jeb Bush
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-01-15/the-simple-reason-why-republican-voters-arent-settling-for-jeb-bush
On the right, the return of Mitt Romney—which I prefer to call the Romneyssiance—has sparked fresh new debates about why Jeb Bush was ever the great 2016 GOP hope. Why does he inspire such skepticism, from the right and the center-right, when his brother didn't? In a column for The Week, Matt Lewis argues that "George W. got away with his apostasy because he had a Texas swagger and twang, no real conservative opponents, and a much less emboldened base," while Jeb Bush is more "cosmopolitan" and alienating.
In a response, RedState's Erick Erickson argues that conservatives preferred Jeb but "settled" for George, because he had two terms as governor of Texas to Jeb's half-term as governor of Florida. "George W. Bush was considered the conservative in the field in 2000 compared to McCain," adds Erickson.
This discussion excises a factor that was forgotten after the close 2000 election. At the start of the 2000 primaries, Bush was crushing the expected Democratic nominee, Al Gore. From a February 1999 report on the Washington Post's own poll:
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-01-15/the-simple-reason-why-republican-voters-arent-settling-for-jeb-bush
On the right, the return of Mitt Romney—which I prefer to call the Romneyssiance—has sparked fresh new debates about why Jeb Bush was ever the great 2016 GOP hope. Why does he inspire such skepticism, from the right and the center-right, when his brother didn't? In a column for The Week, Matt Lewis argues that "George W. got away with his apostasy because he had a Texas swagger and twang, no real conservative opponents, and a much less emboldened base," while Jeb Bush is more "cosmopolitan" and alienating.
In a response, RedState's Erick Erickson argues that conservatives preferred Jeb but "settled" for George, because he had two terms as governor of Texas to Jeb's half-term as governor of Florida. "George W. Bush was considered the conservative in the field in 2000 compared to McCain," adds Erickson.
This discussion excises a factor that was forgotten after the close 2000 election. At the start of the 2000 primaries, Bush was crushing the expected Democratic nominee, Al Gore. From a February 1999 report on the Washington Post's own poll:
In the presidential race, Vice President Gore continues to trail Texas Gov. George W. Bush, a potential GOP presidential hopeful. Bush was the choice of 50 percent of all registered voters, up from 46 percent in the pre-scandal poll in January 1998. Gore claimed 40 percent of the hypothetical vote in the latest poll compared to 41 percent from last year.
