Washington Post-Analysis: Barbara Bush failed to grasp how the Bushes helped pave the way for Trump

[Gothmog]

I worked on the Dukasis campaign even though GHW Bush was a Houston native. Later I voted in the same polling location as GHW and Barbara (the Secret Service would clear out the polling place for them to vote).

I remember how disgusted I was at the Willie Horton ad. GHW Bush and W are each responsible for the racism that gave us Trump. Barbara Bush should rest in peace but the facts are clear that GHW Busn and W each are in part responsible for trump

Link to tweet

Veteran journalist Soledad O’Brien tweeted:

“Not super bewildering. Her husband, President George HW Bush leveraged the racism of the Willie Horton ad — a coded racist appeal to white voters — to victory. President Trump has taken that ball and run with it.”

Link to tweet

....As Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley told PBS shortly after Bush’s death:

“Bush wanted to see himself as being a man devoid of racism. But the reality is that Bush often had to do dog whistles and appeal to less enlightened Americans on race.”

It is understandable that Bush, who probably saw her husband as a gentleman, would be disgusted by the behavior of Trump — especially when she considers how he treated her son during the campaign. But it is telling that someone who had a front-row seat to two American presidencies seemed so unaware of the values within her own party that she would view Trump as an interloper instead of the next chapter of a continuing story.

I hope that Barbara Bush is resting in peace. However the facts are the facts. The Willie Horton and the W racist behavior led to trump

[Skidmore]

1. It's not just the dog whistles to racists

but the whistling in of the weapons/security culture and spin offs of militias under the papa knows best what is good for the nation. He also was not averse to sneakiness and lying to the people.

[ZZenith]

2. I hope Barbara Bush is resting in eternal torment.

And I make no apology for that sentiment.

A more clueless purveyor of misery has seldom been seen. Clutch those pearls in perpetuity, Babs.

[gratuitous]

3. The Bush family doesn't mind profiting off misery, blood and death

They just don't like the screams of their victims to impinge on their quiet comfort. So distasteful.

[Boomerproud]

4. I haven't agreed with an oped so completely

In a very long time. Considering how the media kowtows to the BCF it was courageous.

[Bluepinky]

5. Barbara was mother to several privileged, entitled sons.

Both Neil and Jeb were implicated in scandals involving savings and loans businesses. And another son, George W, lied to the American people to start an unnecessary war for financial gain, cut taxes on the wealthiest citizens (which greatly ran up the national debt) and failed to protect the country from a not unexpected major terrorist attack.

Barbara herself made racist comments about survivors of the Houston hurricane and flooding. I would put her squarely in the Republican camp. I agree that she and the other Bushes were precursors to the huge mess we’re in now.