G.O.P. Contenders Ponder What To Say About Bush

[Hissyspit]

Source: New York Times

G.O.P. Contenders Ponder What to Say About Bush

By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: May 3, 2007
LOS ANGELES, May 2 — As they gather Thursday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for their first debate, the Republican presidential candidates are thrilled at the chance to associate themselves with Reagan. But they may not be able to escape the challenge created for them by the current president.

As much as Iraq or health care or any other issue, the question of how to deal with President Bush is vexing the Republican field. Do they embrace him as a means of appealing to the conservative voters who tend to decide Republican primaries? Or do they break from him in an effort to show that they will lead the nation in a new direction? Do they applaud his policies or question his competence — or both?

Already, the leading candidates are showing clear divisions on that score. In formally announcing his candidacy last week, Senator John McCain of Arizona, without naming Mr. Bush, attacked the performance of the White House at home and abroad. In doing so, he separated himself from his two main rivals, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mitt Romney, who have chosen to stick close to Mr. Bush, or at least to avoid breaking openly with him.

- snip -

“It’s always difficult — and we recognize this — to elect someone to a third term from the same party,” said John Weaver, a senior McCain adviser, in a break from debate preparations. “We know that to be the case. John is going to express his views as he see them: in some cases he and the president have shared the same position, but in some cases they don’t.”

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Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/us/politics/03repubs.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[LiberalFighter]

1. Do the right thing guys... Support your President 120%

And commit hari kari!!!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. Nah. No seppuku for them.

Seppuku allows them to retain their honor. That would never do. How could they possibly retain something they apparently never had?

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Impeachment Train A-Comin'

They'll soon take a constitutional crowbar to Bush to get him seperated - they don't want that hanging around their neck in '08.

[arcane1]

3. they will perpetuate the "incompetence" lie, probably...

they will claim the goals are still noble, and that Bush has merely done a poor job of achieving them..

that way, they can connect with those voters who are dis-satisfied with Bush, without actually changing anything :grr:

[ShockediSay]

7. Crooked or incompetent - - take your pick

two strong reasons that Bush and Gonzo enjoy each other's support

[Warpy]

4. The questions will all be pathetic softballs

if last week's "debate" was any indication.

I'm sure they'll all say that Iraq needs to be rethought but won't say how; will crow about how high the Dow is (never mind it hasn't kept up with inflation) and how great the economy is (for the rich) since all those top tier tax cuts came in and how important it is to make them permanent; how this is the greatest health care system in the world and how it's unfortunate some people make poor decisions (like "deciding" to get seriously ill) and either don't qualify for or can't afford insured health care; and how important it is to put them wimmen in their places and put fundamentalist Christian instruction in public schools and make sure nobody ever burns a flag anywhere in the world ever again, and how tacky it is for them perverts to think they ought to legitimize their perversion by legal marriage, blah blah blah.

I can see it all coming.

[gratuitous]

12. Wow, do you have a time machine too?

I thought I was the only one. But you've hit every point perfectly. Oh, there will be some palaver about fightin' the terrorists in Iraq instead of in Indianapolis and deciding to make tough, decisive decisions.

[kysrsoze]

5. How about: "He's a great guy and we couldn't possibly kiss his dumb ass enough."

Seems to be McCain's strategy.

[radfringe]

8. no brainer

when you are in deep deep water - you don't hang onto a box of rocks and hope it keeps you afloat...

[Solly Mack]

9. all the world's a stage.....

and then there's the stage handlers

[Kolesar]

10. WWJLD--What would Joe Lieberman do?

Slime the chief executive of his own party to get some publicity.

[Tyler Durden]

11. I guess THE TRUTH would never occur to them...

...being rePUKE scumbags and all.

[flaminbats]

13. Bush or Reagan?

southern conservatives worship Bush, and see him as the savior of the Republican party. criticizing Bush on the war in Iraq, on deficit spending, and even on the scandals in his administration will create a backlash among this group of primary voters. But most southern Republicans don't view Reagan as a Republican icon and are too young to even remember his personality or policies.

Those who do worship Reagan make up a shrinking minority of Republicans. These people are retired conservatives who were once called Reagan Democrats, the same ones who blamed Carter for stagflation and still scream the loudest whenever they see the rising gas prices! They supported Bush, but are disappointed with his decisions..especially on this losing war in Iraq and on stem cell research. Ironically they don't believe Reagan is at fault, but they blame Bush and are disenchanted with the Gonzales scandal.

I think the front-runners..McCain, Romney, and Giuliano will use this debate to portray themselves as Bush clones. others..like Ron Paul and Thommy Thompson will use this opportunity to distance themselves from Bush by contrasting his administration to the Reagan administration. some may even criticize the creation of more bureaucracy as a solution for terrorism. But none of these Republicans will criticize Bush's taxcuts, and they will all claim that Democrats are taking "money away from the troops."