Is George W. Bush Still A Turn Off?
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee today released an ad attacking former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, a socially conservative Republican who may run for Jeff Bingaman's senate seat once he retires.
The ad, called "At It Again," highlights New Mexico-based Wilson's past encounters with entrenched GOP leaders, especially President George W. Bush, a man whose image proved to be a deterrent for some voters during and immediately following his White House career.
But I wonder whether the specter of Bush will still be effective come 2012.
By now most people know that Bush was not the mastermind behind his administration's most controversial decisions, but was instead a figurehead, or a puppet, for people working behind the scenes.
While Dubya should take responsibility for his past actions, he also didn't instigate them, and his culpability exists in relation to those who pulled the strings.
That said, will the "palling around with Bush" angle still derail potential Republican campaigns? Wouldn't it be more compelling and effectual to show GOP candidates hanging out with the likes of Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney?
Watch the DSCC's video, AFTER THE JUMP...
Sorry - Bush will always be the worst president in US history. Puppet or Pusher - he and his cronies are a plague on our nation and we should never forget, forgive or ignore what happened and what still happens because of them.
Posted by: Victor | Mar 7, 2011 11:56:46 AM
Well since most people today can't remember 2 days ago I bet most will agree to forget that he was bad.
Posted by: Fenrox | Mar 7, 2011 12:14:29 PM
A political ad highlighting Donald Rumsfeld or Karl Rove wouldn't be effective, as most Americans if you stopped them on the street wouldn't know either. Sad, but reality.
Posted by: Brian in Texas | Mar 7, 2011 12:25:49 PM
Karl Rove needs to be totally demonized by all decent people. No mercy should be shown to him.
Cheney is a seriously ill man and no longer a threat to be taken seriously.
Rumsfeld held a powerful position but no longer does.
Bush was not nearly the conservative he's made out to be. And I can't believe any Republican would want to use him in a campaign, at least publicly. I think the general population strongly dislike him.
Posted by: ratbastard | Mar 7, 2011 12:47:42 PM
The simple answer is yes, especially among independents.
But I do think that the tactic is overused. Perhaps what most people want to see now is the candidate's plans on creating jobs and fixing the economy. If the Democrats can somehow connect the Republicans to big corporations, more tax cut for the wealthiest and union busting, then the Democrats will have a good chance of winning back the House in 2012 and keeping a slim majority in the Senate.
Posted by: gayalltheway | Mar 7, 2011 1:00:15 PM
@gayalltheway
That's like saying we need to find a way to connect my hand to my shoulder. It's very obvious. You can see my arm clear as day. What you need to do is get people to actually care about that.
Get the non-sickeningly-wealthy people of this country to realize that there is almost no chance that they will become that disgustingly rich. So stop voting against your interests because you'd hate to be taxed an amount of money you'd find trivial if you were actually making enough to be taxed that way. It's not going to happen. Go ahead and elect a representative that actually...you know, REPRESENTS you.
Posted by: JT | Mar 7, 2011 1:19:29 PM
CONGRATULATIONS!
"While Dubya should take responsibility for his past actions, he also didn't instigate them, and his culpability exists in relation to those who pulled the strings."???
One of the "Stupidest Things I've Read In A Long Time"—and there was a LOT of competition.
Posted by: Michael@LeonardMatlovich.com | Mar 7, 2011 1:20:08 PM
It was just revealed that Oprah voted for W twice.
Posted by: Name: | Mar 7, 2011 2:06:35 PM
Yes.
Posted by: Paul | Mar 7, 2011 2:14:04 PM
While it's true Bush wasn't the mastermind, he was- like you said- the face of all the wrongs that occurred the first eight years of this century. Time doesn't erase his culpability nor does it ease the imprint he made on all of us.
Of course, that's just the opinion of a Liberal.
Posted by: Rodney Wollam | Mar 7, 2011 2:57:19 PM
@NAME:
She said that she voted for A Bush at some point. That could have been the first Bush(41).
Posted by: Brian in Texas | Mar 7, 2011 3:06:36 PM
I couldn't even stomach watching him after two years at the Frist portrait unveiling.
He's clearly still stoned, or has permanent brain damage.
Posted by: r | Mar 7, 2011 3:10:31 PM
"By now most people know that Bush was not the mastermind behind his administration's most controversial decisions, but was instead a figurehead, or a puppet, for people working behind the scenes. "
I dont believe "most" people know this.
Where are the stats on this? (that most people know)
What sources are you using to make this statement?
I understand many people dislike him but we dont need to be casual with facts to win the argument.
Posted by: D. Mag | Mar 7, 2011 3:19:12 PM
Hell yes.
Posted by: johnny | Mar 7, 2011 3:42:57 PM
Unless people in New Mexico have a distinct ongoing reason to dislike the Bush Presidency, I doubt this ad will be very effective. The general public has an extremely short memory, people are concerned with the present.
Posted by: austin | Mar 7, 2011 5:06:51 PM
It sounds almost as if you're trying to absolve Bush for some of the most heinous crimes ever committed by an American President (and there have been more than just a few). You would be wise to leave the political commentary to those who know what they're talking about.
Posted by: John in Iowa | Mar 7, 2011 5:32:47 PM
Compared with what we have now, George W. Bush looks very good to me.
Posted by: LincolnLounger | Mar 7, 2011 5:52:14 PM
"While Dubya should take responsibility for his past actions, he also didn't instigate them..."
That's quite a damning defense of our former Commander-in-Chief!
Posted by: Mike | Mar 7, 2011 8:01:38 PM
"By now most people know that Bush was not the mastermind behind his administration's most controversial decisions, but was instead a figurehead, or a puppet, for people working behind the scenes.
While Dubya should take responsibility for his past actions, he also didn't instigate them, and his culpability exists in relation to those who pulled the strings."
I wish i was near you, so i could shake you out of it, this statement is why people keep voting for republicans over and over again. I need to vomit.
Posted by: johnosahon | Mar 7, 2011 10:03:47 PM
As residents of a purple state, New Mexicans do indeed throw up a little in their mouths when they see George W. Bush. The public's memory is short but you never forget those who've really screwed you over. I'm over Bush and will actively work against Heather Wilson.
Posted by: ABQ | Mar 7, 2011 10:44:41 PM
Obama has spent most of his presidency trying to clean up the debris from Bush's presidency, and all he gets from the right wing is guff--as they conveniently ignore the borrow-and-spend economics, the two wars, the September 11th warnings, "Heckuvva job, Brownie!", gutting chunks of the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments to tap our phones and e-mails and lock up "ter'rists," etc.
Bush is the worst president in modern times, and down there with Nixon, Johnson, and Buchanan as the absolute bottom of the rung. He was, and remains, a narcissistic incompetent, smirking simian.
Yes, many people still blame Bush for where our country is at today--and well they should.
Posted by: Dback | Mar 7, 2011 10:56:11 PM
What a stupid article! It's like saying Mubarak wasn't so bad - he just had bad people around him. Ridiculous. I'm from Texas - this clueless, ignorant buffoon unleashed his goon squad and mindless destructiveness on all of us 15 years ago and we've never been the same since. Yes, I'm sure he'd be lots of fun to hang out with at a baseball game. Unfortunately, "just folks" conservative, anti-intellectual, my-way-or-the-highway, mean-spirited REPUBLICANS have set this state (this nation!) tragically back for generations. (What the hell did Bush-lite ever do for gays??? Say what you will for Obama - WE ARE NO LONGER IGNORED!)
Posted by: Bill | Mar 8, 2011 8:22:09 AM