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Maybe it's just me, but there are some parallels between bush in '99 and thompson today...........

Why is Bush Still a Mystery?

If Republicans really want to talk about a baffling political craze, they need look no further than their own tent. What explains the mania for George W. Bush?

He is barely into his second term as governor of Texas, has minimal experience in national politics, and is a virtual unknown outside his part of the country. It is only today that New Hampshire voters are getting their first look at him. Yet, since at least last fall - two years before the 2000 election - Bush has been hailed as the candidate to beat for the GOP nomination. Hundreds of Republican officials, including 19 governors, a dozen senators, and 114 members of the US House, have already endorsed him. Incredibly, many of these endorsers have never met Bush or seen him in action.

There has never been anything like it. The closest parallel to the Bush hysteria is Dwight D. Eisenhower's vast popularity after World War II. But not even Eisenhower, a five-star war hero, had the Republican establishment kneeling at his feet this far in advance of the election. On the contrary, the foremost Republican in Washington, Senator Robert Taft of Ohio, contended with Eisenhower for the nomination.

After losing two elections to Bill Clinton, Republicans are understandably desperate for a candidate who can win. But there is something surreal about the stampede to Bush. It is like the rush to buy Internet stocks, a frenzy to invest in a start-up with great PR but no earnings history.

By most accounts, George W. has a cheerful personality. He polls well. He has carried Texas, a crucial state, twice. His brother is governor of Florida, another crucial state.

But who is he? What does he stand for? What are the principles for which he would sacrifice his popularity? He talks about his ''compassionate conservatism'' the way his father talked about a ''kinder, gentler America.'' But George Sr. could never quite articulate what he stood for; indeed, he had only disdain for ''the vision thing.'' George Jr. may have a compelling answer to the question of why he wants to be president, but so far he hasn't offered one. Neither have his supporters.

When Ronald Reagan ran for president, nobody wondered what his priorities were. The Gipper's philosophical clarity held a powerful appeal; he was elected and reelected in back-to-back landslides. By contrast, George Bush and Bob Dole never stood for much of anything, and the voters gave them short shrift.

And George W.? Is he a Reaganite or his father's son? Is he seeking the White House because of a conviction that his country needs him, or is he just surfing a wave? He spent the winter and spring declining to answer questions about where he stands on the issues or what he would do if he were president. Now, at last, the presumed front-runner is ready to start running. Now, at last, we will learn about his deeply-held political beliefs.

Yet it's hard not to wonder: If George W. Bush had deeply held political beliefs, wouldn't we already know what they are?

Posted by: ElfMistress 1 06/16/1999 07:27:49 PDT

snip

I'd say yes to your question.