George W. Bush barely mentioned in GOP campaign

[Galraedia]

PERRY, Iowa—A funny thing happened recently in the presidential campaign in Iowa: The last Republican president's name actually surfaced.

"We've had, in the past, a couple of presidents from Texas that said they weren't interested in wars ... like George W. Bush," a voter said to Ron Paul, the Texas congressman who has been sharply critical of U.S. military entanglements overseas. "My question is: How can we trust another Texan?"

It was an odd, almost discordant moment in a GOP contest where Bush, a two-term president who left office just three years ago, has gone all but unmentioned. While the candidates routinely lionize Ronald Reagan and blame President Barack Obama for the nation's economic woes, none has been eager to embrace the Bush legacy of gaping budget deficits, two wars and record low approval ratings -- or blame him for the country's troubles either.

"Republicans talk a lot about losing their way during the last decade, and when they do they're talking about the Bush years," said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont-McKenna College. "For Republicans, the Bush administration has become the `yadda yadda yadda' period of American history."

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/01/03/george_w_bush_barely_mentioned_in_gop_campaign/?page=full

[Vincardog]

1. The problem for the GOP is that the idiot bush years were the time

when their policies were given free reign.
They resulted in economic and social DISASTER.
Who wants to remember that?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Right

They had six years where they controlled WH and the Presidency (more than any Democratic President has ever had since LBJ) and the country went into the gutter instead of their promised right-wing utopian paradise and now they expect us to them "try again"?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. In "Perry" by a Texas Rep.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. Pretty much all of George W. Bush's "legacy"

has been projected by the GOP onto Obama creating a reality in which Obama is apparently in his third term as POTUS.

[Kalidurga]

4. GW called himself a compassionate conservative...

can you imagine any of the current crop of nominees doing such a thing? They are all GW withouth the brains or the ironic adjective of compassionate.

GW was a huge disaster without a doubt. But, what all of the candidates that are avoiding mentioning him are doing is admitting he was a disaster. What they are not admitting is they would be much worse. For all his faults and disastrous policies I don't think he was a raging racist or homophobe, he was just a stupid puppet.