Everything you posted about Bush and Whitman's campaigns is true.
But, he ran mostly on the war on terror and finishing Iraq with honor.
Whitman couldn't run on a war platform, so it is apples and oranges for her or us to compare her gubernatorial reelection campaign and his presidential reelection campaign.
There is one big thing that Republicans and conservatives seem to be missing, or are just not talking about.
It is 9/11 that has put us over the top and it is George W. Bush himself (whom many Americans like personally) that has put us over the top. We have so far failed to penetrate the MSM enough to convince many average Americans and young people with their heads full of liberal think that conservative ideals and values and policies are better for many more people in the long haul than the feel good supposed quick fix policies of the liberals.
We have a very hard road ahead convincing a lot of young people and broadcast TV watchers that everyone in the world as well as Americans are better off if we keep our system of regulated capitalism and our JudeoChristian values.
Some of us know we are moderates (in the best sense of the word), but we can't seem to convince the liberals who think we're right wing wackos or the conservatives who call us RINO's and constitutional traitors.
Fifty years ago most people thought about things the way we do, and most of today's "issues" weren't discussed, they were simply part of the American way of life.
Don't take it personally when someone here makes a very strong statement disagreeing with some belief or position of yours.
Some of us have over a half century of experience and study on which we are basing our views, and there aren't many nitwits here, so we can't be moved off the mark by someone who simply disagrees with us, if they don't make a long explanation (with facts or Scripture) of how we have missed the mark.
Because we may not agree with you is not a putdown of you personally or your brains or your experience/learning/culture. Hardly anyone knows any more how to have a spirited discussion with sharp disagreements without getting personal, and impugning the other one's patriotism, piety, manners or mental status.
If you will learn how to discuss things with a calm demeanor and no ad hominems, you will be miles ahead of most of us, and most people in your life.