Bashing George W. Bush still politically potent

Politico ^ | Jonathan Martin

[steven33442]

The New Jersey governor kicked off his re-election campaign last month, but it was hard to tell from Corzine's remarks that there was a new administration in Washington.

"America doesn't need to be Bushwhacked again," Corzine declared, jabbing his index finger and drawing loud cheers. "New Jersey cannot afford to be Bushwhacked again."

A week later and hundreds of miles to the south, Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds accepted the Democratic nomination for governor with a similar message.

"Tonight, Virginia, we move into the general election where there's a stark choice: of whether Virginia continues to move forward in the tradition of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine or whether we move backwards with the disastrous economic and social agenda of [GOP gubernatorial nominee] Bob McDonnell and George W. Bush."

It's been six months since President Bush left the White House and quietly decamped to Dallas, but you'd hardly know it from watching the two marquee elections of 2009. Bush-bashing, it seems, has not lost its political potency.

Both Corzine in New Jersey and Deeds in Virginia have sought to tie their GOP rivals to the still-unpopular former president and aides to the Democrats, along with other party strategists, remain convinced that the line of attack will remain effective so long as the economy continues to wheeze.

"We didn't get into the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression by accident," said Joe Abbey, Deeds' campaign manager. "A lot of voters rightfully place the blame on the economy on the Bush White House. Their memories aren't that short - and Virginia voters won't want to return to those policies under McDonnell."

But it's New Jersey, especially, where Democrats think that waving the bloody Bush shirt could produce dividends.

[steven33442]

The Democrats will try to bring up the name of George W. Bush whenever possible. The same tactic worked for the Dems running against Progressive Republican Herbert Hoover. In fact not only did FDR run against Hoover in 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, but Truman also railed against Herbert Hoover in 1948, and Adlai Stevensen accused Eisenhower of supporting the poliices of a despised president who had left office 20 years earlier!

It is important to understand that GWB was not so much a conservative as a "compassionate conservative". Being a Compassionate Conservative gave him an excuse for lots of new government programs and spending, such as No Child Left Behind, free drug benefits for seniors, massive spending on Foreign Aid to Afica, and of course, his crowning achievement, Iraq.

[albie]

Bashing Bush will ALWAYS be good fodder for dems. Interesting how they’ve been using this same tactic since FDR. I didn’t know they were that unsure of themselves for that long. Of course, “bread & circuses” has been around for centuries so...

[Tarpon]

Meanwhile, the unemployment time bomb is taped to Peloser’s chair, and it's still ticking.

Patience.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

America cannot afford to be Bushwhacked again?

Cannot afford?

Listen, Corzine, you stupid piece of shi*.
Bush was a big-government, big spender.

He spiked the punch.

Obammie the Commie is slipping us a mickey.

Whatever Bush did wrong, Obammie the Commie is doing times 10.

These aholes will say anything, no matter how self-contradictory or hypocritical it is, if there is an insult against Bush.

[FrankR]

"Bashing Bush will ALWAYS be good fodder for dems. "

Pathetically, this is the modus operandi of a class of people who shun personal responsibility the way Dracula shuns sunlight.

Dems will never grow up - to blame someone else to take the spotlight off their own deficiencies is what they do.

In eight years, GWB did not do a 10th of the damage that commiebama has done in six months. With GWB in charge, the other countries knew not to mess with the US, but, commiebama is constantly exposing our underbelly to the worlds would-be dictators and tyrants.

All they are saying with this daily Bush drama, "please don't look at what obama is doing, look at what Bush did.".

Redirecting blame and destroying anyone who opposing them is what communists/democrats do. The LIE is the only thing they have to keep their useful idiot constituents in line - IF THE TRUTH WOULD DO DEMOCRATS ANY GOOD, THEY'D USE IT.

Most democrat leaders know they are low-lifes, so they must bash someone to feel better about themselves. The prisons are full of them.

The sooner the rest of Americans get over the "white guilt" syndrome and start thinking like responsible adults, the quicker all these problems will be solved. It's silly.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Blaming Bush/Cheney works on the rabid left. Rasmussen has the Kenyan at -7 which indicates normal folks know who’s in charge and who to blame.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Under George Bush we had less than 2% inflation, a market over 13,000, and less than 5% unemployment.

How’s that hope and change thing working out for you guys?

[Always Right]

McCain might have won the election if he defended some of Bush’s policies. Instead, Obama bashed and bashed and bashed Bush right in front of McCain’s face. McCain did not realize, but those attacks stuck to McCain also.

[popdonnelly]

Corzine is the fool who nearly got killed because he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt while going 100 mph down the Garden State Parkway.

[KC_Conspirator]

This strategy will not work in most places as people are out of a job. During the Bush years, the economy was boom compared to Hopey Changey.

[kromike]

Tee. Effing. Hee. In response, I'd like to say,

"Since January 20, 2009, Uncle Sam has had a horrible case of B.O."

[yongin]

Plenty of Obama attack ads at McCain incessantly mentioned how McCain voted 90% of the time with Bush.

Corzine's plan might work. It all depends on the following question. Who do you blame for your current economic condition, Bush or Obama? In May, Rasmussen had 61% blame Bush. In June, Rasmussen had 54% blame Bush. As long as people blame Bush for the recession, the Dems get a free pass.

[traderrob6]

Each and every day forward that % will continue to decrease.

[moose2004]

This tactic is tired and old. Rasmussen reported about 5 weeks ago that a clear majority of voters reject blaming Bush for our current woes. If Corzine and Deeds are banking on this strategy instead of presenting a plan of action for the economy then they will both go down in defeat easier than I thought. I would take a page from Bill Clinton's 1992 playbook. GHWB trashed him constantly on tv, but Clinton kept replying that it's the economy, stupid! It was the perfect response to tough personal attacks during bad economic times. People wanted to know how either candidate was going to make things better, they didn't care about anyone’s personal fallacies, they only wanted action.

[FrankR]

"How’s that hope and change thing working out for you guys? "

I hope that is just bad wording, for to imply that I have anything for commiebama/hope and change other than outright contempt, is just totally wrong.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

I hope that is just bad wording, for to imply that I have anything for commiebama/hope and change other than outright contempt, is just totally wrong.

Don't take offense. The "you guys" was meant to be sarcastic and to address any liberal or democrat lurkers in the vicinity.

[FrankR]

Good...I suspected that was the case, but just wanted to clarify....peace.