WE elected the wrong Bush!
We nominated the wrong Bush, certainly.The trouble is that "we" aren't able to unify around a conservative. At least, not until now. I fully expect Rush to read the Republican Party the riot act, telling them that there will be no support for conservatives for another RINO candidacy like McCain's. And if that means that the Democrat gets reelected, then so what - he was going to get reelected no matter what conservatives did. Because no one person controls the conservative movement and can deliver it to to polls to vote RINO. Rush tried that already.
The choice is up to the Republican Party - it can nominate a conservative and be competitive in 2012, or it can nominate a RINO and risk marking the hundredth anniversary of the Bull Moose Party by failing, as it did in 1912, not only to win but even to place. Don't blame me, I'm just the messenger. That risk will exist in 2012 no matter what I do, or do not do.
Not just a conservative. That is not enough. GWB took many ‘conservative’ actions, some were not popular and he was incapable of explaining many of them. Take embryonic Stem cell research, an issue completely lost to public which needed to be sold. This got worse as his popularity went down.
We need someine who is conservative but also 1) can communicate and sell conservative ideals (Why are justices like Scalia good for america? Ever hear a good explaination from an elected republican?) and 2) can project empathy and understanding to average person, and 3) can successfully lead a counterattack on attacking democrats, looking compassionate without appearing dirty, ala Clinton/Obama. 4) Someone who cares about congressional Republican elections beyond his own. GWB won 2002 and 2004 but it was a two election plan, after that he destroyed the party.