Posted on 02/19/2016 6:12:17 AM PST by COUNTrecount
Jeb Bush's brother, the former president, his sister-in-law, the former first lady, his mother, his sister, another brother, and of course his wife and children have come to South Carolina, where George W. Bush's political fortunes were made, in hopes of vaulting Jeb back into the Republican presidential race. But with poll after poll showing Bush hovering around 10 percent — fighting with John Kasich for fourth place — that looks less and less likely every hour.
So it wasn't surprising that there was a big media turnout at Bush's townhall here in Columbia Thursday. Yes, there's plenty of press to go around now; South Carolina is teeming with reporters. But there is also a Jeb death watch underway. That's especially true after Bush held a downer of a townhall on Wednesday in Summerville in which some audience members bemoaned the condition of his campaign and wanted to know why he can't raise his game against Donald Trump.
"It's all been decided, apparently," Bush said in frustration. "The pundits have already figured it out. We don't have to go vote. I should stop campaigning maybe."
Bush has mentioned that he knows obituaries are being written for his campaign. I talked to one reporter who noted wryly that when Bush made such an obituary comment, at that precise moment, he, the reporter, was in fact working on Bush's campaign obituary.
Bush is asked about it everywhere he goes. Is his campaign running out of money? How high does he have to finish on Saturday to stay in the race? When will he drop out?
"We've been rising in the polls, I feel good about where we are, and I'm going to work hard," Bush told reporters as he emerged from his Jeb! campaign bus at the Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
I worked for the US Customs and Border Control Dept of Homeland security from 2002-2004 at their HQ in the Ronald Reagan bldg in downtown DC.
At that time we understood that Bush was an open borders guy. His talk about protecting the border was just talk.
Elite opnion at the time was that the USA Canada and Mexico would merge someday to form a superstate in much the same way that the EU did in the 90’s. that the way to go about doing this was to make for a free flow of people and goods.
casualties were just a cost of doing business.
W Bush was stone dead wrong.
He also spent more of the hard working Americans’ hard earned money than any President since Lyndon Johnson.
Bush had too much ring rust to be able to survive with Trump in the race.... He’s 10 years out of touch with the electorate.. his defense of Common Core and Amnesty made him a non starter..... To top it off he’s got the yolk, fairly or unfairly of his brothers administration to drag him down.
He’s a good guy, but the frustration with the status quo and the political class in the electorate today is not conducive to him. I won’t write him out until he withdraws, the establishment still needs a candidate, and frankly if I was in their position, I wouldn’t want to bet the marbles on Rubio.
This election without Trump, Bush probably is the nominee fairly handily.... Trump defined him out of the gate, and he never got his footing.
I agree with you completely.
He is surging!
Its Jebmentum!
A 4th or 5th place finish means he is finished, but I bet Carson/Kasich/Bush continue on in the spirit of the walking dead.
Yebbie...quit NOW! You are pathetic and should be on suicide watch.
Hmmm, maybe that's not a bad strategy.
Reminds me of those people who hold a wake before the funeral to be able to say final goodbyes prior to the actual event.
I think you are heading in the right direction with your evaluation. I would only add that these good people, the Bushs, did what they did for themselves and not for the American people. We need someone who will make the hard and unpopular choices.
True story, There has been too much vitriol towards the Bushes(some of it earned). They should have known it would doom Jeb. Not to mention his stance on immigration. Wrong guy at the wrong time.
Millions of Americans did not make that mistake. They are now supporting Trump, Cruz, and Carson and refuse to support Jeb for that very reason.
My guess Mom has told Yeb this is it. Win SC or you’re out.
I got really pissed at W during his re-election campaign when he weakly tossed out “If you re-elect me, maybe I’ll take a look at tax reform...maybe...” What the hell was his Treasury Secretary doing the last four years? What was he directed to do? It was obviously half-assed pandering, and he had no intention of following through. But what else was I going to do? Vote for Kerry?
The first time I ever heard the words “New World Order” were from the lips of George H.W. Bush. I don’t think they are particularly good people. These are the people who have befriended a sexual predator and disgraced former President as an adopted son and brother.
The Bush’s are a typical elitist progressive family who have functioned as the front artists for the the big oil companies and the open borders cheap labor express crowd of Industrialists.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.