Ayup – there is no one more Establishmentarian than Jeb Bush in this race (he of the “…willing “[To] lose the primary to win the general…”) which immediately signaled to the base of “need you (sniff)? nope”. So we’ll see how that works out for him. And then he decides to double down and continue the throwing away of the base:
“Yes, I got a lot of good advice from the last candidate who I wish was president right now, the last Republican candidate, and he validated a belief that I have which at some point we have to start campaigning in a way that is beyond the base. I think you have to be respectful of conservatives and you have to campaign hard, convince thatm (sic) that you’re the guy that can unite the party, but there also always has to be an eye on the ball on the next group of people who decide who the president is going to be.”
Hate to keep sounding like a broken record, but look at the record just here in NH this last November with the top of the ticket. Who, btw, are the poster children for exactly what Bush is saying he’ll be doing. All three now, have drubbed their base.
Sidenote: The only worse results by an NH GOP Chair over what Jennifer Horn delivered for US Senate and NH Governor was Fergus “The Fringe” Cullen (who, for his absolutely STERLING result of losing pretty much everything, has yet to be re-elected back to the NH GOP Committee).
Lose the conservatives, the TEA Party, and the social conservatives (yes, a big Venn Diagram intersection), lose the election. Now in the primary, one doesn’t have to win overall – just place well with respect to expectations. In the general? Once again, we’re talking percentages and can the Establishment R even think that they can lose their natural allies (ok, from their view, perhaps frenemies at best)? Or will their overreach to the middle, once again, be Trumped (sorry, couldn’t help myself) by the Dems actually cherishing their long silent base and bringing it back to life? Again?
(H/T: Gateway Pundit)
