The negative image of George W Bush was definitely a contributing factor in Republican loses, at nearly every level, in 2006 and 2008. Bush’s image problems hurt the GOP brand, but was certainly not the only reason that Republicans struggle to regain a stable footing.
Democrats knew that tying Bush to Republican candidates was a simple, yet effective tactic. In fact, they were so fond of the tactic that they are still trying to keep Bush relevant as an issue. Democratic Senator Pat Leahy called for investigations into “possible wrongdoing by the Bush administration.” This investigation would include topics like warrant-less wiretapping and the Justice Department firings.
Everyday, Bush becomes a less dominant factor in how Americans view Republicans. In fact, a recent survey reveals that less than 41% would favor any type of criminal investigation into the Bush administration, yet Democrats hope to keep anger regarding Bush high enough to use in the mid-term elections in 2010.
I seriously doubt they are successful in keeping Bush relevant. Instead, Democrats are going to have to defend an irresponsible spending bill that they promised will “fix” the economy. Americans are anxious to see if it works, but their patience will begin to wane about the time the mid-term elections heat-up, making Democrats extremely vulnerable.
Holding onto Bush
Posted by Tyler Harber on Friday, February 13th, 2009 at 7:13 AM
The negative image of George W Bush was definitely a contributing factor in Republican loses, at nearly every level, in 2006 and 2008. Bush’s image problems hurt the GOP brand, but was certainly not the only reason that Republicans struggle to regain a stable footing.
Democrats knew that tying Bush to Republican candidates was a simple, yet effective tactic. In fact, they were so fond of the tactic that they are still trying to keep Bush relevant as an issue. Democratic Senator Pat Leahy called for investigations into “possible wrongdoing by the Bush administration.” This investigation would include topics like warrant-less wiretapping and the Justice Department firings.
Everyday, Bush becomes a less dominant factor in how Americans view Republicans. In fact, a recent survey reveals that less than 41% would favor any type of criminal investigation into the Bush administration, yet Democrats hope to keep anger regarding Bush high enough to use in the mid-term elections in 2010.
I seriously doubt they are successful in keeping Bush relevant. Instead, Democrats are going to have to defend an irresponsible spending bill that they promised will “fix” the economy. Americans are anxious to see if it works, but their patience will begin to wane about the time the mid-term elections heat-up, making Democrats extremely vulnerable.