http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/21/jeb-bushs-brother-quiet-so-far-could-re-emerge-in-february/?_r=12:11 pm ET By Ashley Parker
NASHUA, N.H. — To W., or not to W., that is the question.
As Jeb Bush’s campaign continues its internal deliberations on how to best publicly deploy Mr. Bush’s older brother — if at all — a conference call on Thursday with alumni from the George Bush and George W. Bush presidential administrations yielded yet another clue.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see 43 on the trail in South Carolina” soon, said Dorothy Bush Koch, Jeb and George W. Bush’s sister, according to someone on the call.
The question of how and when to best use George W. Bush, the 43rd president, who remains popular with the Republican base, is a complicated one for the campaign.
Some voters say they are wary of political dynasties and can’t quite bring themselves for another Bush. And Jeb Bush stumbled early on with his response over whether he would have made the same decision as his brother to invade Iraq in 2003. There is also concern that George W. Bush, a more natural and charismatic campaigner than Jeb Bush, could upstage his younger brother.
But George W. Bush has seen his popularity among Republicans increase since leaving the White House, and could help his brother, who lags in the polls, as a valuable surrogate.
George W. Bush is a natural fit in South Carolina, a state rife with military bases and families, which heads to the polls on Feb. 20. But he could potentially also be an asset in New Hampshire, which votes on Feb. 9, and where his brother needs a top finish to help re-energize his campaign.
Jeb Bush has recently become more comfortable talking about his famous family. Speaking on Wednesday in Nashua, N.H., he praised his brother’s 2007 decision to increase the number of combat troops in Iraq, but also said: “Were there errors along the way in Iraq? Yeah, you bet.”
Later that day, in Keene, N.H., Jeb Bush also cited his family for providing him with a “unique” and “front-row seat” to the presidency.
“There’s no one running for president who’s had a brother that was president, a dad that was president, and I’ve seen how it’s done the right way and I’ve seen how it’s done the wrong way,’ he told the crowd. “I believe I would have the steady hand to be able to be a commander in chief that you would be proud of.”
