Jeb Bush praises brother's record in lead-up to decision on 2016 run

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

Jeb Bush praises brother's record in lead-up to decision on 2016 run

Former Florida governor tries to mount obstacle of ill-feeling towards George W Bush presidency ahead of his own campaign

Ewen MacAskill in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 10 March 2013 15.04 EDT

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush praised his brother's presidency, suggesting history would view it favourably, as he made a tour of the Sunday talk shows aimed at getting his own 2016 White House run back on track.

One of the biggest obstacles facing him if he is to mount a White House run could be his name. There is some resistance in the US, a country proud of its democratic credentials, to electing a third Bush into the White House. But the main problem is the negative feelings still arouse by the George W presidency.

Seeking to confront that issue, the former Florida governor told NBC: "In his four years as president a lot of amazing accomplishments took place. So my guess is that history will be kind to my brother, the further out you get from this and the more people compare his tenure to what's going on now."

Bush's hints that he is considering a White House run coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the most controversial decision of George W's two terms. His father's presidency is normally seen in a better light, though his decision to stop the first Gulf War in 1991 after the liberation of Kuwait is also seen as controversial, as was reneging on his pledge not to raise taxes.


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/10/jeb-bush-praises-record-2016

[oldandhappy]

1. lack of reality

[goclark]

34. welcome to DU

You pinned the tale on the Donkey Family!
GW is the top dummy...now here comes Jeb
They live in an alternate universe ...

[Politicalboi]

2. Jeb has already forgotten

"In his four years as president a lot of amazing accomplishments took place. So my guess is that history will be kind to my brother,

I believe the nightmare lasted 8 long years. I guess it's all part of rewriting history.

[NYtoBush-Drop Dead]

7. That's because this Bush knows

That as the governor of the banana state he stole the election for his brother in 2000. That's why he said 4 years.

[DallasNE]

8. Jeb Must Be Cherry-Picking

2002 through 2006. That way he avoids 9/11 and the Great Recession bookends. But that still leaves the debacle of Iraq.

[Selatius]

35. He's also cutting out 2005. That was the year FEMA dropped the ball when it came to Katrina. nt

[olddad56]

10. Yeah, he accomplished his goal of destroying our economy, that is pretty amazing.

[lonestarnot]

40. Well, let us do our jobs and show him how we haven't forgotten!

[cheapdate]

3. It'll never work.

[Lasher]

9. Seems to have worked out OK for Saint Ronnie

Low information voters have been easily duped by well funded propaganda factories like the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project. Middle class voters have very short memories, and these stink tanks have plenty of money to keep spinning for decades.

[cheapdate]

14. Short memories, yes

Powerful stink tanks, yes. Reagan didn't ride to victory by extolling the virtues of the Vietnam War. Jeb's not gonna pick up libertarian or small-government Tea Party votes by appealing to the record of George W. Bush.

Right-wing, conservative Christians however will respond enthusiastically to a message that gives them validation. But they don't win presidential elections anymore. Their numbers are shrinking, not growing.

Fox News and the right-wing media can, and will, try to rewrite the Bush record, but their influence is less than it was.

I don't think it will work.

[Frank Cannon]

55. No one but the true believers are that dumb or delusional.

And Jeb already has those morons' votes in the bag.

Go away, Jeb. You'll have better luck if you change your name to Herb Kowalski, wear a nose and glasses, and pretend that you never even heard of your idiot brother and your conniving dad.

[Gore1FL]

4. This will make it easier to tie him to W's policies.

It's too fresh in people's minds, and the ones that would believe it are no longer supporters of establishment candidates.

[Art_from_Ark]

36. But then again, Watergate and the Nixon and Agnew resignations,

as well as Gerald Ford's pre-emptive pardon of Nixon, should have been fresh on people's minds in 1980, but that didn't stop Ronald Reagan from rolling over Jimmy Carter in the election.

[Gore1FL]

43. That was more an an effective use of the hostage crisis. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

52. Yes, and it also means there could easily be another distraction

that could make people forget what had happened 8+ years before.

The hostage crisis started in November 1979, and was always in the news, every day. Believe it or not, in those days I was an occasional reader of the Post-Dispatch. That newspaper featured a column about the crisis with an outline of Iran forming part of Khomeini's beard. The media really milked it for all it was worth, to the Republicans' advantage. Something similar could happen again.

[sikofit3]

57. You got it

He is trying to rewrite history in the American publics minds, which is what they do all the time. They bet on short memories, hardships from life and American Idol to be able to seed a new memory of what happened so he can run without the stigma attached. This is why he waited so long to run. Fortunately there are a lot of people who wiill never forget treason and murder except the ones who never saw it to begin with and still defend it to this day. He can have those votes cause I don't think it will be enough. However, if he gets in, I fear for what that means for our humanity.

[olddad56]

5. Let the Jeb Bush Orwellian doublespeak begin

[The Second Stone]

11. Jeb is finished

All anybody has to do now is point out that he thinks things went well during the W administration. Of course he really had no other choice, being W is his brother.

[UpInArms]

12. the world has had a belly full of being bush-whacked

everyone needs to be prepared for a brooks brothers riot

it's torches and pitchfork time

[City Lights]

13. Great idea, Jebbula! Keep bringing up and praising Junior!

Keep reminding us what a great job Dubya did! That's the key to your success! ( )

[blkmusclmachine]

15. The US is still in hangover mode from the W years.

Still waiting for Change.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

16. As I said on another thread. Just what we need. Another Republican with a sense of entitlement.

Is the membrane on your bubble that impervious Jeb?

[MichiganVote]

17. Another Bush in office? No fucking thanks.

[dawnie51]

18. I had thought Jeb Bush was a contender....

but he's turning out to be a bigger joke than his hapless relatives. No insight, no reality-based ideas, and if he believes ol' W was a fine guy, he must be on crack as well. Keep talking, Jeb. You become a bigger doofus everytime you open your mouth.

[Turbineguy]

19. Well golly!

I wasn't thinking of voting for him, but now, I just might!

[Kingofalldems]

20. Where are the jobs from the Bush tax cuts?

[RoccoR5955]

21. Read my lips: NO NEW BUSHS! n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Jeb can't count, or Jeb can't remember

"In his four years as president ...."

It was eight years of the lame brain fool.

You're already trying to trick the public for your own benefit, Jeb.

Ain't gonna work.

[Myrina]

42. No, that's accurate ...

Cheney was doing the Presidentin' between 2000-2004.

Once Iraq was invaded and war profiteering was set to maximize, he let Dimson take over & ruin what was left of the economy.

[on point]

23. Delusional. Out of touch with reality. Or a liar. Disqualified for cause

[DFW]

24. Delusional. Out of touch with reality. Or a liar. Emminently qualified!

For the Republican nomination, that is. At least if 2008 and 2012 are any indication.

Let's hope the outcome of the 2016 election is similar, too.

[Kablooie]

25. Not delusional or lack of reality.

It's politalk.

He's saying what he thinks will please potential voters.
He's pandering to the Bushy minions because he expects that's where most of his votes will come from.

It doesn't mean he believes this at all.
It's simply a ploy to win the presidency by buttering up those who might vote for him.

He knows the rest of us 47% won't vote for him no matter what so he won't support our worldview even if it's correct.

It's pretty sure that he will win the nomination if he wants it and tows the hard right line.

[graham4anything]

26. It takes a Clinton to defeat a Bush...btw

Jeb must be admitting he wasn't President the first four years and that he legit won the 2nd term.

Jeb is also counting on some sort of Ralph Nader to do what happened in 2000 again.

God Help Us all if anyone is stupid enough to fall for the oldest routine in the book (as Maxwell Smart secret agent 86 might have stated).

[trublu992]

27. He can't really be the "smart " one after this can he?

[Webster Green]

28. Oh please. Where was their great leader at their own presidential convention?

Nowhere to be found, and for a very good reason.

Worst fucking president ever!

Fuck off Jeb! The Bush name is poison.

[Festivito]

29. Bedtime for Bushies. Playing in a future near y'all.

Defending his brother's record. That's rich.

[yurbud]

30. ...said Caligula's other horse.

[Zoeisright]

31. That alone should disqualify that ass for the position.

Any dipshit who thinks Bush the Dumber did a good job is certifiable.

[indepat]

32. What does Jebbie like most about junior's tenure? Was it turning a surplus into a staggering

multi-billion dollar increase in the national debt, launching a pre-emptive war of mass carnage and destruction, shredding that piece of paper we call the Constitution, or setting the stage for the greatest financial and economic collapse since the Great Depression through laizze-faire governance and misfeasance. Tell us, Jebbie. which of these enthrall you the most since surely most of us think junior's stewardship was a f*ckin' disaster this nation will not recover from for a decade or more. Second to loyalty to your family, Jebbie, I applaud your keen judgment, analytical skills, and acumen.

[VPStoltz]

33. Kind? Yeah, kind of honest and the truth will kill all your hopes of being Prez.

[HughBeaumont]

37. Anyone who thinks Bewsh 43 did a good job needs to be examined.

[lunatica]

38. Jebby, if your borther was so good give us an example

of his accomplishments. Tell us what great things he did and why history will be so kind to him.

[Doctor_J]

39. The DNC should already be attacking the entire malignant family

All the way back to Hitler's banker, through the JFK assassination, Iran/Contra, 9/11, and all of the economic crashes.

[libodem]

47. yep

Spot on!

[Myrina]

41. HAHAHAHAA yeah, that'll get him elected!!

NOT.

People still hate that little shitstain. Does Jebby not recall that his bro' left office with pretty much the lowest approval #s EVER in the history of mankind?


G'won Jeb ... jump on that train. Please.

[NYC Liberal]

44. "Four years as president" is indeed accurate, if you subtract all the vacation time.

[DCBob]

45. unfortuantely he might get away with this.

voters have short memories and the media has helped whitewash Bush-the-idiots legacy somewhat. Also, the relatively calm shutdown of the war in Iraq tempers the anger some had regarding that dumb war.

[tkmorris]

48. No Bob. Just no.

Voters DO have a short memory, tis true. However 8 years is not NEAR long enough to whitewash the incredible failure that was Junior. It's gonna take a generation at least.

[DCBob]

51. I hope you are right but dont forget this country re-elected that moron in 2004.

After that I will never underestimate the stupidity of the American voter.

[libodem]

46. Idiot

[Dpm12]

49. Are all Bushes

high?

[nonoyes]

56. Not high, just incredibly stupid, rich, entitled and they

have bad memories as well. I'd be willing to bet it's some form of early onset alzheimers disease, starts when they are about 30.

[AgingAmerican]

50. How about that economic collapse??

That was a real hum dinger, wasn't it 'smart Bush?'

[DonCoquixote]

53. True folly

If jeb wanted to win, he could sell himself as the OPPOSITE of his brother. He could have embraced immigration, showing off his Mexican wife. He could have said "I will not do what my brother did" and make sure he would not hire any old Bush or Nixon people. There are enough people who are SCARED of the Tea Party that would vote for him.

Let us also not forget we are in for some disgruntled dems in 2016, either conservatives who thin Hillary should have been elected 8 years ago or Hard leftists that would glady crash the election because they want the DLC GONE. Either way, there are people already working to make sure that a fraction of dems STAY HOME. Granted, they failed in 2008, but we were lucky someone actually caught Mitt on tape being himself. We cannto count on that.

But yet, Jeb is throwing it away, by doign exactly what his brother did, by appealing to the tea party/jaizzuz freeks, the saem one that hung his dad to dry because he even hinted at taxes.

[underpants]

54. There is no controversy on the Iraq war - it was a LIE and a FIASCO