Breaking: George H.W. Bush to vote for Hillary

[Figueira]

Wow!  Does something like this have historical precedent?

Bill Clinton campaigned for Niki Tsongas in the 2007 special election.

In all seriousness though, I'm not aware of any recent precedent in terms of actual Presidents voting for nominees of the opposite party, although McGovern voted for Ford in 1976.

[ag]

When the new GOP crop has you assessing the legacy of the Bushes as that of relative sanity and stability, it should really tell our country something about the state of almost half the electorate and one of our nation's two major parties...

I have little doubt that the elder members of the Bush family will either be voting for Clinton (ironically, the wife of Bush Sr's successful rival) or abstaining. The Republican base will proclaim them members of a sinister, treacherous elite, but that only further proves my point. Not to mention, how very non-conservative that is of them to speak so disrespectfully of elder members of their own party and former Presidents. These people aren't conservatives - they're enraged, right-wing populists with no sense of decency, respect for American institutions, or highest office. I dislike conservatism as a philosophy and ideology, but even I wouldn't taint it by associating this rabble with it.

Great post.

Though, frankly, I hold a much higher personal opinion of Bush Sr. - and of conservatives in general.

[henster]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

[ag]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

Everybody personally abetting Trump presidency will be held by history personally responsible for launching WWIII. I mean, your position would only be consistent if you believed that Hillary Clinton's main fault is not causing death of enough people.

[MasterJedi]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

[Vosem]

But muh NEOCONS

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Nobody finds it troubling all these neocons lining up behind her? They seem very comfortable with her FP decisions Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen etc.

I find it extremely troubling. And if Trump weren't a fictional tv character who spends all his time dog-whistling about race war and assassinating his opponent in between ranting about ending the Constitution and launching illegal wars of aggression to seize resources, maybe he could use it to his advantage.

[MT Treasurer]

Republicans who think that "Trumpism" will just go away after Trump loses and that the Republicans will nominate another Bush-type Republican in 2020 are deluding themselves.

[henster]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

It's not their fault the party nominated that no appeal towards them, they don't like/trust for a reason. And if she loses it will be because of baby boomers, Gen Xers.

[Maxwell]

The entire Bush family is voting for Hillary.

what about goofy Marvin? I think he's voting for Gary Johnson.

[ag]

Nobody finds it troubling all these neocons lining up behind her? They seem very comfortable with her FP decisions Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen etc.

I find it extremely troubling. And if Trump weren't a fictional tv character who spends all his time dog-whistling about race war and assassinating his opponent in between ranting about ending the Constitution and launching illegal wars of aggression to seize resources, maybe he could use it to his advantage.

If he were not all that, all those neocons would have been voting for him: or, at least, would be keeping silent about that.

[Frodo]

I have mixed feeling about this, especially considering Bush's own history (see: Atwater, Lee) when he was in the limelight.

Then again, perhaps he has come to regret his choices for the sake of gaining the nation's highest office, and this is his way of rectifying them.  
 

[ag]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

It's not their fault the party nominated that no appeal towards them, they don't like/trust for a reason. And if she loses it will be because of baby boomers, Gen Xers.

No. There are only two parties, and no candidate can have appeal to every Democrat. It was a fare fight, and there are simply many more moderates than radicals.

If Trump wins, and you will have chosen to act in a manner that helps that, you will be personally held responsible for all the deaths and havoc it causes. Not some mythical "millennial", but you, personally and forever.

[MasterJedi]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

It's not their fault the party nominated that no appeal towards them, they don't like/trust for a reason. And if she loses it will be because of baby boomers, Gen Xers.

Yes, it would fully be Millennials fault if it happens. So they don't like Clinton so they'll vote Stein and assist Trump in becoming president who'll go fully against everything they want but that's cool to them I guess. Gives them something to complain and protest but not actually work towards actual change. And Millennials right now are the largest voting block, so squarely on their heads.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

It's not their fault the party nominated that no appeal towards them, they don't like/trust for a reason. And if she loses it will be because of baby boomers, Gen Xers.

That's literally the most self-righteous and self-indulgent and entitled opinion. Voting isn't just a right to use and abuse, it's a responsibility that has impacts on people beyond yourself. Vote how you like, but remember, that there are good and bad consequences to your decision and you own both of them.

[henster]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

It's not their fault the party nominated that no appeal towards them, they don't like/trust for a reason. And if she loses it will be because of baby boomers, Gen Xers.

No. There are only two parties, and no candidate can have appeal to every Democrat. It was a fare fight, and there are simply many more moderates than radicals.

If Trump wins, and you will have chosen to act in a manner that helps that, you will be personally held responsible for all the deaths and havoc it causes. Not some mythical "millennial", but you, personally and forever.

It will be Hillary's fault and her fault alone if she loses, of course when she s up its everyone else's fault but hers.

[Xing]

Nobody finds it troubling all these neocons lining up behind her? They seem very comfortable with her FP decisions Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen etc.

Not as troubling as racists lining up behind Trump. Seriously, people like H.W. aren't voting for Hillary because they like her or agree with her a lot on policy. They're voting for her because they prefer her sanity to Trump's insanity.

[Vosem]

Republicans who think that "Trumpism" will just go away after Trump loses and that the Republicans will nominate another Bush-type Republican in 2020 are deluding themselves.

I don't think Trumpism is just going to go away (and definitely not by 2020), but at the same time you've got to recognize that it's a minority of the party (disliked by the majority, incidentally), one that will not find it easy to coalesce around one candidate in the absence of Trump, and one which has a massive demographic problem in that it gets support mostly from older voters in high-mortality areas.

I don't know what is meant by "Bush-type" (I don't think a hawkish FP-oriented candidate, like Lindsey Graham, has much of a chance in the modern Republican Party, but none of the serious prospective 2020 candidates really fits that description; Cotton is the closest but he's clearly intending to compete for Trump-successor), but I think a Trumpist would need even better luck than Trump had in 2016 to win in 2020, and that after that unless they manage to actually elect a President the prospects become very grim.

[ag]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

It's not their fault the party nominated that no appeal towards them, they don't like/trust for a reason. And if she loses it will be because of baby boomers, Gen Xers.

No. There are only two parties, and no candidate can have appeal to every Democrat. It was a fare fight, and there are simply many more moderates than radicals.

If Trump wins, and you will have chosen to act in a manner that helps that, you will be personally held responsible for all the deaths and havoc it causes. Not some mythical "millennial", but you, personally and forever.

It will be Hillary's fault and her fault alone if she loses, of course when she s up its everyone else's fault but hers.

You are not any different from any other Trump supporter, that is it. Be honest, and go vote Trump.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

How can anybody be surprised to Clinton bleeding so much millennial support to Johnson/Stein they are one of the most anti-war generations. They already know her FP record and then they see neocons lining up behind her of course they are going to be open to the actual antiwar candidates.

And if Trump wins the party needs to be on millennials ass for the next 4 years telling them to repent for getting him elected since it would likely fully be their fault that it happened.

It's not their fault the party nominated that no appeal towards them, they don't like/trust for a reason. And if she loses it will be because of baby boomers, Gen Xers.

No. There are only two parties, and no candidate can have appeal to every Democrat. It was a fare fight, and there are simply many more moderates than radicals.

If Trump wins, and you will have chosen to act in a manner that helps that, you will be personally held responsible for all the deaths and havoc it causes. Not some mythical "millennial", but you, personally and forever.

It will be Hillary's fault and her fault alone if she loses, of course when she s up its everyone else's fault but hers.

Not if people are so delicate and unable to deal with compromise and moderation for the achievement of common goals. If the little dears can't understand that by now...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Regardless of whom he supports, HW Bush is a disgusting man who ran an even worse campaign than Trump in 1992, which is why he was humiliated on election day. It should also be noted that the Bushes would have supported Clinton over any other Republican (except Jeb) as well.

Nah... probably would have backed Kasich.

[Vosem]

It should also be noted that the Bushes would have supported Clinton over any other Republican (except Jeb) as well.

I am actually very confident they would've backed any Republican with the exception of Trump. They despise Cruz (you can find a million articles from 2015 demonstrating this) and they were still indicating their support for him behind the scenes against Trump (http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/10/ted-cruz-a-bush-by-another-name/).

No reason to pretend Trump isn't unique.

[Mike Thick]

I can't say I'm surprised, but it is pretty cool that a former President is voting for the wife, the nominee of the opposing party, of the man who defeated him for re-election (political humiliation) a quarter century ago. It not only speaks to how foreign policy-oriented people are uncomfortable with Trump, but to how much the Clintons and Bushes have improved their relationship since 1992.

[Antonio the Sixth]

GAME CHANGER

[henster]

Regardless of whom he supports, HW Bush is a disgusting man who ran an even worse campaign than Trump in 1992, which is why he was humiliated on election day. It should also be noted that the Bushes would have supported Clinton over any other Republican (except Jeb) as well.

Exactly, of course Hillary will proudly tout his endorsement just like Joe LIEberman and Paul Wolfowitz.