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With Jeb Bush facing tough competition in the Republican presidential race against the anti-establishment candidacies of Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, he’s now considering whether to employ his brother, former president George W. Bush, to reel in conservative support.
The New York Times reports that Jeb Bush’s campaign is considering sending Dubya to South Carolina to help his brother win the primary there, saying that the former president is still very popular among Republican voters (71 percent had a favorable view of him according to a May 2015 New York Times/CBS News poll). Previously, George W. Bush had only appeared at private fundraisers for his brother.
The risks to this approach include the fact that George W. Bush’s increased presence could remind voters that Jeb Bush comes from a political dynasty “at a time when voters are itching for change.” In addition, while the former president is popular among the conservative base, he’s still not a winner among the electorate at large, especially Democrats, which could hurt Jeb’s general election prospects if he does manage to clinch the nomination. To complicate matters, George’s previous decision to invade Iraq could become one of Jeb’s vulnerabilities, if the latter uses the former too much in his campaign.
It seems worth the risk, though. Currently, Bush is placing third and fourth respectively in the New Hampshire primary and the Iowa caucus.
(Via New York Times)