Bush, 2008: “There is no conservative movement”

Hot Air ^ | SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 | ED MORRISSEY

[RobinMasters]

During the 2008 CPAC convention, George Bush only mentioned the word “conservative” once, in the closing — and apparently that was no accident. A new book by the man who wrote the speech for Bush, staffer Matt Latimer, retells the story in Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor, and Byron York relates it in today’s Washington Examiner. When Latimer tried to include supportive language about the conservative movement, Bush attempted to set his speechwriter straight:

“What is this movement you keep talking about in the speech?” the president asked Latimer.

Latimer explained that he meant the conservative movement — the movement that gave rise to groups like CPAC.

Bush seemed perplexed. Latimer elaborated a bit more. Then Bush leaned forward, with a point to make.

“Let me tell you something,” the president said. “I whupped Gary Bauer’s ass in 2000. So take out all this movement stuff. There is no movement.”

Bush seemed to equate the conservative movement — the astonishing growth of conservative political strength that took place in the decades after Barry Goldwater’s disastrous defeat in 1964 — with the fortunes of Bauer, the evangelical Christian activist and former head of the Family Research Council whose 2000 presidential campaign went nowhere.

[RobinMasters]

That’s right. Georgie boy was not a conservative at all.

In 2007, in his book “Dead Certain”, Robert Draper wrote what W. said to Cheney when he chose him as a VP in 2000 :

“You know Dick, I’m more like Ronald Reagan than my dad. The difference is, my dad was raised in the East, and I was raised in Texas”

Robert Draper, Dead Certain, pp. 110.

[stockpirate]

Any one worth their salt knew Bush was not a conservative. He used us to get elected then in his second term he set up the demise of America to the socialists.

[newfreep]

Sarah Palin was more qualified & had more accomplishments than OBOZO. More successes than even Jorge Bush when he was governor.

For Jorge to say this reflects his hatred of conservatives and why he pushed & signed so many liberal bills, supported amnesty, refused to build a wall and close the borders & attempted to push Harriet miers on AMerica.

Jorge Bush will go down as the republican version of Jammah Carter.

[Globalist Goon]

Pull the 2000 election threads and you will see plenty of folks pointing out that Bush is not this good ol’ boy conservative.

[RobinMasters]

Agree with you.

[gitmogrunt]

Does anyone still believes Bush was a Conservative?

[Melchior]

In the American dictionary of slang, following the entry “tin ear” there is a picture of George Bush, father and son.

[TexasFreeper2009]

There are 3 groups of conservatives that make up the Republican party, collectively they are known as the Reagan coalition.

Social Conservatives

Fiscal Conservatives

National Security Conservatives

Regan was all three, HW Bush was only National Security, Dole was only National Security, W Bush was Social and National Security, McCain was only National Security.

The problem is we need a candidate that has all three, that is wrapped in a package (looks) that Americans can get behind. This is what makes Palin such a threat, she has all three. But she needs to take a crash course on issues, and interviewing to be ready for prime time in 2012.

[stevio]

Could you imagine if mccain won?

[Captain Kirk]

At least liberals can’t say Bush was ever conservative.

Then what is the excuse for conservatives who voted for him?

[Seruzawa]

All those years of certain freepers calling those who criticized Bush’s policies “traitors” and such. Now that was a pretty bizarre experience. Where are all those guys now?

That’s what happens when you care about one issue only. Bush knew that all he had to do was oppose abortion and mildly support gun rights and he could get away with the most expansionist social policy in history. He could hobnob with The Swimmer and still have fanatical support. He was a pretty smart guy after all. Too bad he wasn’t a conservative.

[TexasFreeper2009]

If McCain had won we would of already passed the health care abomination, and granted amnesty to all the illegals *shudder*

[Captain Kirk]

Could you imagine if mccain won?

It probably wouldn't be much different. The main difference is that he would be able to use many conservatives to carry out his whacko policies.

[mbs6]

And then he laid this doozy:

“I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system.” — George W. Bush

See video here: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/16/bush-free-market/

[Robbin]

She’s been on the national stage now. She and her family knows what’s up. I want her to run for president.

She’s got my vote.... You won’t see me vote for Romney or the Huckster.

[TADSLOS]

I was once in the Oval Office when the president was told a campaign event in Phoenix he was to attend with McCain suddenly had to be closed to the press…

“If he doesn’t want me to go, fine,” the president said. “I’ve got better things to do.”

Eventually, someone informed the president that the reason the event was closed was that McCain was having trouble getting a crowd. Bush was incredulous—and to the point. “He can’t get 500 people to show up for an event in his hometown?” he asked. No one said anything, and we went on to another topic. But the president couldn’t let the matter drop. “He couldn’t get 500 people? I could get that many people to turn out in Crawford.” He shook his head. “This is a five-spiral crash, boys.”

Bush, lifting the GOP to new heights...

[algernonpj]

>Any one worth their salt knew Bush was not a conservative. He used us to get elected then in his second term he set up the demise of America to the socialists.>

Yup. The prior three administrations paved the way for the socialist take over under Obama. (Plus the ~535 in Congress and 9 in the Supreme court who allowed them to get away with it, even aided and abetted them.)

[Captain Kirk]

The problem is we need a candidate that has all three

If National Security means promotion of national defense, we certainly do. If it means nation-building, Wilsonianism, and world policing (such as support for Obama's expanding wars), we can't afford it.

[stevio]

If McCain had won we would of already passed the health care abomination, and granted amnesty to all the illegals *shudder*

Yep, and all we would be doing is sitting around with our mouths open. And there would be some here saying that it would have been worse with obama.

[OldPossum]

“You make a very good point. Labels can be used to manipulate. We HAVE to look at actions.”

Labels, to the extent they are used in the essential purpose of language, which is to designate and explain what we mean, are necessary.

The prior use of “reasonable” is entirely too vague to serve that purchase.