Okay, I just caught wind of the whole Jeb/Marco showdown.
I want to know what moron told Jeb Bush "Yeah, pull off a contrived attack against Marco Rubio."
This is horrifyingly awful, but completely emblematic of his entire campaign. It was a typical, flaccid establishment piece of mush from the get-go. Bush and his people approached it with a sense of millennial-level entitlement- they had the name and the money, all they needed after that, they reasoned, was a nice, my-little-pony style strategy that brings everyone in and leaves nobody out.
Well guess what? It doesn't work that way when you have other legitimate opponents working against you, wooing once-loyal donors away. In an electoral climate like this, you cannot win a primary with Romney's "I believe in an America where we can all be Americans in an American way." No, your campaign actually has to stand for something more than that. Your candidate cannot afford to be all-inclusive when your opponents actually believe in something.
The sad part is, it was all a lie. Jeb Bush is tough and fairly conservative. I can tell you he is not weak, but he was coached to appear as such. They had time to right the ship when Trump blasted in to at least maintain Rubio levels of viability, but they did not. His campaign failed him and, by hiring them and keeping them onboard, he failed himself.
Want to know why Republicans failed to evict Obama in 2012? Want to know why we have an Iran Deal? Want to know why unemployment is still in the doldrums? Want to know why Russia and China are challenging the Anglophonic world? Want to know why we have widespread civil disorder supported by the government? Want to know why congress is weak beyond all belief?
Take a good look at the Republicans who have challenged rectitude of conservatives and middle-class voters nationwide. Take a good look at the inside-the-beltway pundits that gave them ideological ammo. Their sloth, unprofessionalism, and total lack of imagination force are part of the reason why we face what we face as a nation.
But not this cycle. Rather than get beaten by Democrats, they are getting beaten by their "own" first. The clumsy moves that didn't work against Barack Obama have failed them in this race.
And the battle-hardened victors? They will have the privilege of facing off against a Democratic party that hasn't known a good fight much less a good victory in few years save the policy victories of Barack Obama.
My conservative friends, good policy does indeed make good campaigning this cycle. So I leave you with two words: take heart.
