Out of office, Republicans turn to Bush for inspiration
Prominent Republicans eager to rebuild the party in the wake of the 2012 election are pointing to Bush’s successful campaigns for Hispanic votes, his efforts to pass immigration reform, and his mantra of “compassionate conservatism.” Bush won 35 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2000 and at least 40 percent in 2004, a high-water mark for a Republican presidential candidate.
In contrast, Romney received only 27 percent of the Latino vote, after taking a hard-line approach to illegal immigration during the Republican presidential primaries, touting “self-deportation” for undocumented workers. In exit polls, a majority of voters said that Romney was out of touch with the American people and that his policies would favor the rich. While Romney beat Obama on questions of leadership, values, and vision, the president trounced him by 63 points when voters were asked which candidate “cares about people like me.”
These signs of wear and tear to the Republican brand are prompting some of Bush’s critics to acknowledge his political foresight and ability to connect with a diverse swath of Americans, although the economic crash and unpopular wars on his watch make it unlikely he will ever be held up as a great president.
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Shocka!!!!! Hispanics are the new indies, and will be the reason for pimping the 2016 officially-designated Next-In-Line, Rubio.
The GOP is dead.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 10:35 AM
It’s not that complicated. Bush ran as a God-fearing, unabashed conservative. Now he unfortunately didn’t govern in a fiscally responsible manner, but bottom line is if the GOP runs candidates who aren’t afraid to espouse conservative values, they’ll win elections. When they run squishy moderates who go out of their way to avoid offending the left, they lose(and usually badly).
Doughboy on December 19, 2012 at 10:36 AM
You can’t fix stupid. GOP is determined to abandon conservatism.
ConservativeLA on December 19, 2012 at 10:36 AM
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
It’s time for a new party.
Oil Can on December 19, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Well, the GOP is taking inspiration from a guy who left office with an approval rating headed for the single digits.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 10:39 AM
I often turn to bush for inspiration.
The Rogue Tomato on December 19, 2012 at 10:42 AM
There are plenty to choose from already.
Or you can found your own!
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Huh?
If the GOP wants to have a future – it needs to look to Sarah Palin and other small-government conservatives, not big-government progressives like Bush.
Pork-Chop on December 19, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Yeah, but if enough people do that, who will help you hype up the next GOPe pinup for 2016?
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 10:47 AM
True conservatives like Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum need to take the reigns of the party and return it to its old-fashioned conservative roots.
Pablo Honey on December 19, 2012 at 10:49 AM
They can’t do any worse than the Bush Inc/ GOPe toadies.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Fixed.
Frankly, maybe this actually NEEDS to happen to give conservatives the kick they need to start a 3rd party. Of course that’s assuming they’d get the hint, which after the 2012 debacle is hardly assured.
MelonCollie on December 19, 2012 at 10:51 AM
He only won 40% or so of the vote…
Guys, the problems facing the GOP are not unique… they’re the same problems facing every right wing party in every western democracy.
The problem with the GOP is that country club business elites sold out their voters for their bottom line.
ninjapirate on December 19, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Yeah, right. And then you’ll be sitting around b1tching and moaning about how those filthy Bible thumpers are polluting you pure, crystalline, third party secular conservatism. It’s what your ilk does best.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 10:56 AM
That’s a separate issue. Bush spent way too much money while in office and tried to ram things like amnesty down our throats. So he alienated his own base over the course of his Presidency(especially in his 2nd term). He also spent the better part of 8 years allowing way too many nasty, unsubstantiated attacks to get hurled his way without a response, thus seemingly validating them. That turned off people in the middle. And we don’t need to recount how much the left already hated him even before the disputed results in Florida.
But as far as his actual campaigns, there are lessons the GOP could stand to learn. He ran as a social and fiscal conservative and was unapologetic about it, particularly regarding the former. Let’s not forget that 2004 was a base election and Bush won basically by turning out values voters. It seems like lately the Republican leadership wants to ignore this portion of their base, or at the very least is taking them for granted. Notice how the Dems had no qualms about appealing to the pro-abortion crowd at their convention?
Doughboy on December 19, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Yeah, it could: ditch Karl Rove’s 50+1 blackboard/ balkanizing strategizing. But it won’t “learn” this any more than it will learn to be conservative.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 10:58 AM
So how was Bush supposed to have responded, by the way?
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:00 AM
I like W, he is a very very nice man but he spent to much and tried to little to ward off the mortgage crisis.
Cindy Munford on December 19, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Oh how cute, the slobbering fundie got his pweshus feewings hurt.
What YOUR ilk does best is come up with fruitloops who make idiotic statements about rape on camera and blow our credibility to hell, and that’s when you’re not conducting totally fruitless protests.
I could care less what party you single-issue retards voted for so long as it isn’t the Demoncrats; we can’t get rid of you anyhow. You’ll just be another cross we have to bear along with half the nation wanting free stuff.
MelonCollie on December 19, 2012 at 11:02 AM
Win elections. While you aridly theoretical b1tches and moaners sit back and try to take credit for riding the wave.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Someone who apparently thinks “conservatism” means little more lower marginal tax rates is going on about “single issue retards”. How very cute.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:05 AM
I’ll guess we’ll see if it’s enough to splinter the whole Right and we’ll lose the White House. Again.
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 11:09 AM
Simple. When the Dems accuse him en masse of intentionally lying us into war, he simply asks them if they were lying as well when they claimed(some going as far back to the Clinton years) Saddam had WMDs. Make political opportunists like Bite Me and Hillary own up to their own words. He could’ve done this on so many issues, but he preferred taking the high road. Noble, I suppose, but political suicide in today’s hyperpartisan environment.
Doughboy on December 19, 2012 at 11:10 AM
And then it would’ve been “Bush is whiny”. With probably zero net gain in public esteem.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:13 AM
So it’s “the Right’s” responsibility not to splinter and instead get fully behind the GOPe-approved 2016 edition of Mr Electable Inevitable.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:14 AM
What’s the Right’s responsiblity then? Or the candidates? Or the parties’? Basically, what do you think should be done?
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Oh, I dunno….maybe they could try actually taking a principled stand every now and then? Or we could go the Romney-campaign focus-group route. It’s such a winner, after all.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:20 AM
I have no problem with outreach to Hispanic voters.
However its his other policies, like Homeland Security, the Iraqi Democracy and Rebuilding Project, and his complete panic attack over the economic / banking crisis which led to him basically supporting the polices that Obama supported are what worry me.
I hope they are not taking inspiration from him on those things…
William Eaton on December 19, 2012 at 11:25 AM
Details? Which politician out there seems like the most-likely do to that?
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Don’t be silly. Jeb and/or Marco, obviously. /
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:32 AM
..returning a month and a half after the election, I find some interesting variety in your comments. (I mean this respectfully.) We have three years; would you please outline what specific steps you would take to “right” this ship?
It’s a serious question.
The War Planner on December 19, 2012 at 11:34 AM
I wanna know. No faith at all? In anyone?
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 11:37 AM
I don’t think the GOP ship can ever be righted. The establishment is too entrenched, and nuclear-type defense against any sort of internal opposition to it in the form of a movement or individual is so pervasive, that change from within just isn’t possible anymore the way it was in the 1970s.
ddrintn on December 19, 2012 at 11:43 AM
..I understand. That’s not what I asked. By “this ship” I am referring to this country. Specifically, the steps you would take to cast the asssholes out of office and who would you want to see elected and how would you see that they are elected?
The War Planner on December 19, 2012 at 11:50 AM
have you guys been living in a vacuum the last 4 years? We’ve been getting our butts kicked. the next 4 are likely to be worse.
why should we have faith in them?
renalin on December 19, 2012 at 12:20 PM
Who do you have faith in then?
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 12:32 PM
no no and no. I will not support another Bush.
unseen on December 19, 2012 at 12:56 PM
Who do you have faith in then?
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Jesus
unseen on December 19, 2012 at 12:57 PM
a strong third party.
unseen on December 19, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Which one? The Libertarians are the strongest right-leaning party after the GOP.
thebrokenrattle on December 19, 2012 at 1:04 PM