George W. Bush Could Be Key to Stopping Donald Trump, Republican Says

[mystery-ak]

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-01-06/george-w-bush-could-be-key-to-stopping-donald-trump-republican-says?cmpid=aol.bpol

 George W. Bush Could Be Key to Stopping Donald Trump, Republican Says

Former South Carolina Republican Chairman Katon Dawson says the former president should get out on the trail—and not just for his brother's sake.

Michael C. Bender

January 6, 2016 — 10:00 AM CST

For much of the 2016 Republican primary, conventional wisdom has had it that former president George W. Bush is something of a liability to his brother Jeb's struggling campaign.

But for at least one top Republican in South Carolina—the state that holds the American South's premier presidential nominating contest and only early state that has never dealt a primary defeat to a member of the Bush family–the 43rd president could be the party establishment's answer to stop front-runner Donald Trump in his tracks.

“The game changer is: Will 43 engage?” Katon Dawson, a former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, said in an interview about the former president, who was the nation's 43rd commander-in-chief. “If 43 engages, it will matter for his brother, but, really, it will matter for the entire team.”

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[libertybele]

I think he will and I think he will try to help him win the Southern states; especially Florida.  Florida, now a winner take all state I think will either make or break Bush and Rubio. So far Trump is leading in the polls here; but we are still a few months away.  If Jeb or Rubio win Florida; the GOPe I believe will still have a shot.
   
Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 15, 2016
Primary Election: August 30, 2016
General Election: November 8, 2016

[EdinVA]

So GW decides it is improper/non-productive for a former president to speak about a sitting president, no matter how destructive the SOB is but does not hesitate to slam members of his own party....
I always thought he was a jerk, now he has confirmed it.

[andy58-in-nh]

I sincerely hope Bush does not interrupt the practice of former Republican presidents becoming virtually invisible after they leave office, as opposed to the practice of former Democrat presidents making of themselves insufferable public nuisances.   

[Scottftlc]

I mean, I hate to bring this up, but George W. Bush is not likely to help anyone running, anywhere, anytime.  His presidency is largely considered a failure.  He didn't speak up when the Democrats turned him into the incarnation of Lucifer in his second term, taking his own party down with him.  Why is he going to speak up now when no one is really interested in what he has to say any more?  Bill Clinton, by the way, isn't going to help anyone either.  And in the future, Obama is not going to be helpful to anyone either.  We will have had 28 consecutive years of mediocre-at-best presidents.  There isn't a living ex-president that could help anyone.

I voted for the man twice, so I hate to point out what is pretty obvious - he's a net negative to any Republican (but especially one with his last name).

[alicewonders]

Where has GW slammed members of his own party? I have always found GW to be the opposite of a jerk, always respecting the Office of the Presidency. 

George W. Bush says he does not like Ted Cruz

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/20/politics/ted-cruz-george-w-bush-jeb-2016/index.html

[alicewonders]

Thank you alicewonders. I had not seen that. After reading the CNN article I would also not call saying he doesn't like Cruz in a private fundraiser... "slamming" the opponents.

Fair point.  I have never seen any leak of Bush saying he doesn't like Barack Obama, or any Democrat for that matter.  I was shocked that he would say that, even at a private fundraiser - it's a disappointing thing to hear him say considering how many times he bent over and held his ankles for the Democrats, and surely he is politically astute enough to know that something like that would be leaked.

[flowers]

   Yeah................riiiiiiight. W is going to help Jeb?  The same Jeb that polls at 6% because the mass population of this country is sick and tired of anyone with the last name Bush. Stay out of the Bushes.