AuthorMusician suggested that I start a thread on a very important public endorsement that is not taking place for President George W. Bush.

Senator John F. Kerry has gained the support of former President Bill Clinton, who is recovering from open heart surgery. There have been comments for and against Clinton's participation, the negative comments running from 'Shame on Kerry getting this man out of his convalescence' to 'Gee, Kerry must be desperate'.

But President George Walker Bush could also have a former President at his side campaigning with him. Former President George H.W. Bush is in his eighties, but he is healthy and spirited enough to have celebrated his most recent birthday by parachuting out of a plane. Although present, he wasn't even a speaker at the RNC Convention in August.

Questions for debate:

Why isn't former President Bush out stumping for his son?

Does this indicate a lack of support?

(Edited to add: Moif made the point about "W" possibly having a former President's support as well before I did in the poll thread about Kerry needing Clinton's support. He deserves the credit.)

Why isn't former President Bush out stumping for his son?

Does this indicate a lack of support?

Good questions

Now, it could indicate a lot of things. For one, considering the policies of President George W. Bush and the policies of President George HW Bush it is possible that the President's Father has issues with the current President and can't bring himself to support him, even though he is his son.

However, another possibility is that President George HW Bush wrote off politics all together on purpose, simple because he was tired of it. I always wondered why the 41st president ran such a lack luster campaign for re-election. Even if he ran an all-out top notch campaign, he still might have lost to the future 42nd President, however his campaigns performance did not even rise to the level of his first campaign for the office.

About 6 months or so after he left the Whitehouse, I saw him on TV interviewed at home, sitting by the pool. He was relaxed, smiling and in very cheery spirits. When asked what it was like not being the President any longer, he smiled, a very sincere smile IMHO and said he life was wonderful. All this said by a senior citizen in a lounge chair by his pool.

I personally feel that President George HW Bush was glad to get out of politics, and wanted to be out of it to the point of letting his campaign faulter. I think the only reason he was at the convention in 2000 is because it was expected, being he was the last Republican President and his son was running for the office.

The 41st President, as far as I know (but could be wrong) has not been out and about making appearances of doing paid speaking engagements at anywhere near the level of former Presidents. To me this speaks to the man's distaste for politics.

Add to what I think is his hatred of politics, his likely ideological disagreements with his son and I would have been quite surprized if the 41st President was out, actively campaigning for the 43rd.

It doesn't necessarily suggest that the former President considers the current one to be incompetent, or incapable. Just that the former President probably see's the current President as wrong or misguided on several issues.

It is interesting that the Father of George W Bush is not out campaigning for his son, especially considering his stature. But I do not think it rises to the level of scandal or concern. (nor do I feel this was implied by the questions )

I'd guess oiverlandsailor has the right of it. The elder Bush seems to be totally done with campaigning for anybody ever, though he did do an interview recently in which he indicated he was very proud of his son and strongly supported him. IIRC, that might have been one of the "Spin Alley" convention interviews on FNC.

I'm not sure how much help he'd be if he did campaign. He never was a great campaigner, and though he's respected by everyone he's not especially popular with the Republican base or any group that I'm aware of.

Why isn't former President Bush out stumping for his son?

You are wrong. I know that main stream media is not showing George H. W. Bush out, and you have to search for what he is doing, but here is what he was doing on Friday:


What about his wife? Well Thursday:


So I think this thread is unrealistic. George H.W. Bush has been out there and his wife and his brother, daughters, and everyone else who supports Bush. Just cause main stream media does not show Barbara Bush talking about social security, does not mean she isn't there. And her crowds are bigger then Cher's and Rosie's

Does this indicate a lack of support?

Well, I think the GOP is playing down the part being played by Bush Snr, in part because the neocons in the Whitehouse never quite forgave him for being more pragmatic than dogmatic - not going after Saddam in Gulf I, for instance.

Also - and I think this is a larger part of it - I think the GWB campaign don't want to have a losing presidential candidate, and a Bush to boot, taking a high profile in the current election. To a point, this makes good electoral sense.

But mostly, I think it's just that he's an old man now, so not only is it hard for him to be at the forefront of campaign presentation, it may conflict somewhat with the image of a "muscular" and dynamic presidential team that plays well with the public no matter which party it applies to.

I stand corrected, though I could not read you first Link as I am not a subscriber. As for the second link, I was a little surprized that Former First Lady Barbara Bush was talking to a group of 200 Republican Supporters. Considering her stature, you would think they would use her to address larger groups. Considering her wide appeal to Americans you would also think they would have her talking publicly to the public in general, instead of privately to Republican supporters.

It makes me wonder if the Whitehouse's apparent propensity to speak and deal with only those who completely support the President whenever possible is being applied to the entire campaign.

If you can't put a beloved person like Former First Lady Barbara Bush our there who can you use?

President Bush's Campaign is apparently infrequently using his parents in the limited roll of pumping up the base. I think Julian may have hit it on the head, the campaign may be concerned about having a "failed" President with the same last name on the campaign trail.

I agree--don't these two well-known public servants deserve more publicity? And why are they not addressing the much-coveted "undecideds" in this campaign?

Perhaps the Republicans feel they have to firm-up their base, too, considering the current President Bush's policies in many ways represent a departure from time-honored, traditional Republican/conservative policies.

Thank you for providing a link about Bush's parents' involvement, yehoshua. I really hadn't heard anything about it, and I'm a big-time CNN junkie.

Well, I hadn't heard anything about their campaign appearances, either. Shows what I know.

I also believe they are not out stumping to much cause of the disagreements in policies. As for Bush Sr. blaming Kerry and the liberals for running negative campaign the dems are not the ones sending fliers out to people with pictures of the World Trade Center, Kerry and Osama all on the same flier.

Why isn't former President Bush out stumping for his son?

George W. Bush has attempted, unsuccessfully, to wrap himself in the mantle of the late Ronald Reagan. It seems from numerous books, including Justin Frank's Bush on the Couch, that there has always been this love hate relationship between father and son. The son wants desperately to become a two term president--something his father--a more gifted man physically and intellectually--failed to achieve. It would take W. out from under the paternal fog that surrounds him.

Does this indicate a lack of support?

Considering what Bush told Bob Woodward about his OTHER FATHER, I'm not sure W. wants his BIOLOGICAL FATHER on the campaign trail. He does, however, invoke his OTHER FATHER in practically every campaign speech. It sounds to me like one side of Bush's brain is talking to the other side.

1. Why isn't former President Bush out stumping for his son?
   One of the reasons we may not be seeing that much of Mr. and Mrs. George HW Bush could be the age factor. The stress of campaign has taken a toll on Barbara:
   
   Barbara Bush stumps for her son
   Former first lady visits Strongsville
   QUOTE
   "I don't need to hear all that stuff," she said.
   
   Bush said that for her, watching television news and talk shows is a little like watching "Fear Factor," the program in which contestants compete by eating bugs and reptiles or performing other repugnant feats.
   
   "In fact, I would rather eat bugs," Bush said, than watch television pundits.
   
   She joked that she would like to settle political issues behind closed doors like Donald Trump does on his show "The Apprentice."
   
   "And you know who I would fire," she said.
   
   
   I guess it would hard to open the paper, turn on the news, and hear someone somewhere talking down your son. The whole mother protection thing, like Newt's mother telling Connie Chung that Hiliary's a 'bitch." I wonder how Hiliary's mom felt hearing that.
   
   
2. Does this indicate a lack of support?
   I really don't think Mrs. Bush's inability to stomach attacks against her son as being a lack of support. More along the lines of a true mother's support.
   
   I am more reminded of George and Barbara during Jenna and Barbara's speech at the RNC. George and Barbara had spent the entire convention listening to various speeches and showing their support for the Republican Party. During their grandchildrens speech, George and Barbara held up two home made signs that read "WE JENNA" and "WE Barbara." The fact that they took time out to make the signs shows support that only and grand parent could give.
   
   Mr. Bush support for his son has nothing to do with disapproval, and everything to do with the media not finding the story in it. Yet it is odd that the could find a story with one cabinet member of George HW Bush administration claiming his disapproval as key. Or Clinton, Gore, and Carter as supporting Kerry, but no mention of Newt, Dole, or Bush's support.

Why isn't former President Bush out stumping for his son?

I don't think that you can have someone that said the following standing with dubya on a stage while he defends his actions in Iraq:



Does this indicate a lack of support?

No, but it does draw to light a vastly different view, or understanding of the current issues.