Wouldn’t it be great if Bush were to grab Obama around the shoulder with a big smile and flashed the “V” sign while the cameras whirred and the flashbulbs popped and Dubya thanked him for all his hard work in Iraq and Afghanistan? Wouldn’t that just drop Obama another five points in the polls, especially among his liberal chums?
Nah. Won’t happen but it is fun to imagine.
drop Obama another five points in the polls,
Nope. Obama and the Democrats understand that when Bush is onscreen, Republicans lose votes. The GOP understands that too, which is why they kept Bush off prime time in the GOP Convenstion last time — and five will get you ten they’ll do so again. And none of the candidates ever uttered Bush’s name during the GOP debates this year. In contrast, nobody could say “Reagan” enough.
So you’re wrong. Obama is inviting Bush to the White House for a photo op because coverage of Bush hurts Republicans. People know that Obama hasn’t fixed the economy — he’s made it worse. But they also remember that Bush is the one who first drove it into the ditch.