One thing Bush should be concerned about, if he’s not already, is whether he’s responding to the Trump phenomenon—and specifically to Trump’s attacks—with enough vigor and passion. What he should be asking himself is: Am I in danger of becoming Michael Dukakis? Already?
Recall the infamous moment when Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic nominee, was asked by CNN’s Bernard Shaw at a debate whether he would support the death penalty if his wife, Kitty, were raped and murdered. Dukakis’ passionless reply—“No, I don’t, Bernard, and I think you know that I’ve opposed the death penalty during all of my life”—solidified his reputation as an out-of-touch wonk.
Bush may be in the process of generating a similar image on the campaign trail. After Trump called Mexican undocumented immigrants rapists, and Bush mildly criticized him by saying “his views are way out of the mainstream,” Trump doubled down by taking on Bush’s wife of 41 years, Columba, who was born in Mexico. Trump retweeted (though it was later deleted) a remark about Bush’s wife: “#JebBush has to like the Mexican Illegals because of his wife.” Bush didn’t even bother to answer the insult himself and instead had an aide respond to the tweet, saying meekly that Trump was “wholly inappropriate and not reflective of the Republican party’s views.”
Bush also failed to deliver a direct response to Hillary Clinton’s mockery of his “right to rise” Super PAC and campaign theme in recent days, again leaving it to a campaign aide to respond.
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