What’s up with the Bush family? Have they gone into Witness Protection? Granted, after his two terms and the mess he created in the middle-east the GOP overall was happy to pretend there was no such person as George W. Bush. He did pop up now and then but mostly did what other ex-Presidents do and faded into the background. However, baby brother ‘Jeb!’ (that exclamation point was his marketing gig for 2016) decided to run for President himself. And Trump laid waste to his candidacy. That was a long time ago, and since Trump has laid waste to everything the GOP their family spent generations fashioning. You can bet patrician, old-school conservatives like them detest everything about Trump. Yet we aren’t hearing a peep from the Bush Brothers. What the hell?
We’ve seen some interesting developments with iconic old-school Republican families in the past week. It surprised no one that Liz Cheney wouldn’t back Trump but openly endorsing Harris and saying she’d campaign for Harris was huge. Then came her announcement followed by a written statement from ole Dick himself HE would be voting for Harris! The McCain family has also weighed in although not as forcefully. Both Cindy and Meghan McCain openly advocated for Harris to pick their Senator Mark Kelly for VP. Cindy actually endorsed Biden back in 2020. Don’t be surprised if she does the same with Harris. Meghan? Well, nothing would get her to vote for Trump but she’s saying (so far) she’s not voting for Harris either. But she respects members of her family having other views. Like her brother Jimmy, John McCain’s youngest son who like Liz Cheney has not only endorsed Harris but is willing to campaign for her.
These are people, families that were core to the pre-Trump GOP. Speaking out about not being willing to vote for Trump DOES matter. At least some of them going further and saying they’ll vote, and even campaign for Harris is huge. The Romney family doesn’t carry quite the same weight and to my knowledge Mitt hasn’t said much publicly although I expect at the least he’ll announce he’s not voting for Trump and will vote third Party. However, a lot of well known Republicans who’ve worked for some very big GOP types from McCain, Bush/Cheney and Romney have signed a letter calling out Trump. According to USA Today more than 200 have denounced Trump and are endorsing Harris!
More and more Republicans aren’t just speaking out and saying they won’t vote for Trump. They are calling him out, openly as the threat he is. And an increasing number are saying they’ll not only refuse to vote for Trump, but that they will vote for Harris! In addition they are encouraging other Republicans to do so. They say it in different ways but they explain themselves by more or less saying:
‘Look, I disagree with her on almost everything and will fight like hell to advance traditional conservative objectives. The things we stood for before Trump came along. BUT I’m an AMERICAN before I’m a Republican and this is one of those times when we all have to set aside Party, or how we or our family has always voted. Trump getting back in office means the America we grew up in, that those before us fought and bled and sacrificed for is done. So, this ONE time your duty as an American is to make sure Trump never gets back in the White House. Not voting or voting third Party isn’t enough. You need to vote for Harris. Not only that, you should tell your Republican friends to do the same. It’s not enough for Trump to lose. He has to lose HUGE. Only then can we clean out the MAGA Trash. And start rebuilding a Party that represents and can advance true conservative values. So this one time, vote for a Democrat. Kamala Harris.’
Democrats look at the Kennedy name and family. For Republicans the counterpart was the Bush family. They didn’t have the same glamour or pizazz of the Kennedys but for generations the Bush name was venerable in the GOP as the Kennedy . Without it there’s no way in hell W/Bush 43 would ever have gotten elected Gov. of Texas, much less President. Jeb was the son being groomed for THAT. But big bro was offended and rather than have an open family fight his old man went along, and tried to install some folks to guide his oldest son. It didn’t take as we know. But my point is that Bush 41 put the family name/reputation into it and baby bro Jeb schemed and cheated and abused his power in Florida to get W over the finish line. And the country got a mess in the middle east as a result.
Those two brothers, one who wanted to “avenge his daddy by taking out Saddam” and the other who chose to help so he could one day get his own stint in the WH by god OWE this country. It’s payback time. They have every reason to both personally and politically HATE Donald Trump. Especially Jeb. His own WH run was as much to restore the family name and status as it was personal ambition. And Trump didn’t just crush him and his family but the entire GOP his family had done so much to build.
Others have been stepping up. It’s high time, in fact PAST time for the Bush Brothers to do the same. Openly denounce Trump. Even if they won’t go so far as Liz and Dick Cheney and announce voting for Harris the least, the very least these two can do is say “If you love America, then you CANNOT vote for Donald Trump.’Â It’s time for the Bush Brothers to get off the sideline and get into the goddamned fight!
I’ve been wondering about them, too. I agree that it’s more than time for them to speak up.
Bush is waiting until after the debate I’m guessing
not going to happen. even after both his parents enthusiastically endorsed Hillary W and Lara said they write in someone. they wouldn’t vote Trump but they wouldn’t go against the party (you remember what happened to Fredo right?). I think Jeb is just done with politics. as for Meghan, she personally detests Trump but is on board with everything he stands for and what passes for policy in trumpworld.