Should George W. Bush endorse Joe Biden?

[Wiggle Your Yummy Moist Preggers Cake Ben Shapiro]

A lot of people who used to work in the Bush administration or campaign are endorsing Biden, but Bush himself is staying quiet. It's clear that he dislikes Trump thanks Jeb's failed campaign, but is it enough to cross party lines?

Note that he has endorsed Susan Collins, so he's not entirely out of politics.

Should Bush endorse Biden, or just stay silent?

[Illini Moderate]

Not really sure how useful it would be. If he does it should be right before the election, maybe a couple days ahead of time, to give hesistant conservatives reassurance and a nudge. Otherwise, it risks angering progressives way ahead of the election and provides for many negative ads

[brucejoel99]

If his endorsement were to help us in Texas &/or have any sway on moderate Republicans &/or independents, then I'd welcome it so as to run up the score on Trump, so yes.

[Duke 🇺🇸]

I highly doubt he will endorse Biden, but he may vote for him.

[Doomer]

I highly doubt he will endorse Biden, but he may vote for him.

I think it’s likely both be and Laura (and Jeb!) will vote for Biden.  I think it’s doubtful they’ll make it public.

[Pulaski]

Biden shouldn't want it unless he's prepared to lose, like, the entire progressive wing of the party tbh. I don't know if the whole wing would, but they all should in that scenario.

Not a single person should let the numbing to simple and outlandish evil that Trump's engendered forget the hostility and hatred of Bush's administration towards every single progressive value.

Bush lied to the world and killed millions.

Bush kidnapped innocent men, tortured them, forced them into false confessions, then threw them out onto the street in totally different countries.

Bush mocked a man he sent to death.

(There's probably worse ones than that last one, but for me it's just the coldest).

If this guy is in the tent, you get out.

[KWRAE 86.47]

Trump's policies are very similar to Bush's, can we stop rehabbing this war criminal's image?

[ProudModerate2]

Wish he would, but I doubt it.
(But agree with others, that he will vote for Biden, but stay silent about his vote.)

[redjohn]

I know a lot of progressives who would withdraw any support for Biden if Bush, the worst President in modern history, endorsed him. I would hope that Biden would reject Bush's endorsement if it came.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

No. Bush 43 should (and probably will) remain silent on who he supports for president.

[Voice of low info America]

No, that would hurt Biden, if anything.

[dotard]

Eww, who cares what he thinks?

[Coldstream]

I don’t particularly dislike Bush, but it’d give too many left leaning people an excuse not to vote Biden and likely wouldn’t persuade anyone who isn’t already voting for him. It’s not worth it.

[Orser67]

Bush has a 61% overall favorable rating and 76% rating with Republicans (at least according to this 2018 poll), so I hope that he does. There aren't many endorsements that truly matter in the general election, but I would hope that Bush's endorsement might sway a relatively small number of conservative-leaning Republicans and independents to at least not vote for Trump.

Of course, Bush's nephew (George P. Bush, currently serving as the TX Land Commissioner) probably wouldn't appreciate it.

[Pulaski]

Bush has a 61% overall favorable rating and 76% rating with Republicans (at least according to this 2018 poll), so I hope that he does. There aren't many endorsements that truly matter in the general election, but I would hope that Bush's endorsement might sway a relatively small number of conservative-leaning Republicans and independents to at least not vote for Trump.

Of course, Bush's nephew (George P. Bush, currently serving as the TX Land Commissioner) probably wouldn't appreciate it.

Honestly, how can you hope the Democratic nominee for President gets endorsed by a war criminal?

How would the party have any credibility in criticising Trump's embrace of Putin, or Erdogan, or Duterte?

[Horus]

Absolutely not. I'm all for a big tent but that tent should not include war criminals, especially war criminals who left office with a 25% approval rating.

[KWRAE 86.47]

Bush has a 61% overall favorable rating and 76% rating with Republicans (at least according to this 2018 poll), so I hope that he does. There aren't many endorsements that truly matter in the general election, but I would hope that Bush's endorsement might sway a relatively small number of conservative-leaning Republicans and independents to at least not vote for Trump.

Of course, Bush's nephew (George P. Bush, currently serving as the TX Land Commissioner) probably wouldn't appreciate it.

Honestly, how can you hope the Democratic nominee for President gets endorsed by a war criminal?

How would the party have any credibility in criticising Trump's embrace of Putin, or Erdogan, or Duterte?

The only answer is that to centrist liberals, politics is performative. It's a TV show. That dastardly Bush sure was a heel in the early seasons, but now he's back to help us fight the new, scary enemy! Never mind that his policies were responsible for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Middle Easterners. Never mind that his tax cuts led to even more societal inequality and budgetary deficits. Never mind that he fought against LGBT rights.

Their policies are very similar, but please, Dubya, save us, for there's a freakin' cheeto in the dang White House!

[afleitch]

Romney would be better.

[Orser67]

Bush has a 61% overall favorable rating and 76% rating with Republicans (at least according to this 2018 poll), so I hope that he does. There aren't many endorsements that truly matter in the general election, but I would hope that Bush's endorsement might sway a relatively small number of conservative-leaning Republicans and independents to at least not vote for Trump.

Of course, Bush's nephew (George P. Bush, currently serving as the TX Land Commissioner) probably wouldn't appreciate it.

Honestly, how can you hope the Democratic nominee for President gets endorsed by a war criminal?

How would the party have any credibility in criticising Trump's embrace of Putin, or Erdogan, or Duterte?

I want to beat Trump by the largest margin possible in order to a)get him out office, b)have a clear mandate for him to leave office so that he's put in as difficult a position as possible to challenge the results of the election, and c)rack up as large of congressional majorities as possible in order to pass legislation that will make peoples' lives better. I don't believe that any left-leaning individuals would actually have their vote affected by a Bush endorsement, I don't see how Bush merely endorsing Biden hurts Democratic credibility, and (as previously stated) I believe that a Bush endorsement could potentially encourage defections among conservative-leaning Republicans and independents.

[Suburbia]

Sure.

[Rand]

No. I respect W's commitment to never criticizing his successors. Besides, it's not safe to assume he's voting for Biden even if it's likely he's not voting for Trump.

[GoTfan]

Bush has a 61% overall favorable rating and 76% rating with Republicans (at least according to this 2018 poll), so I hope that he does. There aren't many endorsements that truly matter in the general election, but I would hope that Bush's endorsement might sway a relatively small number of conservative-leaning Republicans and independents to at least not vote for Trump.

Of course, Bush's nephew (George P. Bush, currently serving as the TX Land Commissioner) probably wouldn't appreciate it.

Honestly, how can you hope the Democratic nominee for President gets endorsed by a war criminal?

How would the party have any credibility in criticising Trump's embrace of Putin, or Erdogan, or Duterte?

I want to beat Trump by the largest margin possible in order to a)get him out office, b)have a clear mandate for him to leave office so that he's put in as difficult a position as possible to challenge the results of the election, and c)rack up as large of congressional majorities as possible in order to pass legislation that will make peoples' lives better. I don't believe that any left-leaning individuals would actually have their vote affected by a Bush endorsement, I don't see how Bush merely endorsing Biden hurts Democratic credibility, and (as previously stated) I believe that a Bush endorsement could potentially encourage defections among conservative-leaning Republicans and independents.

It gives progressives an excuse to vote for Hawkins or not vote at all and in particular, reinforces the idea that Biden is Republican-lite, regardless of however untrue that is.

[Brittain33]

Of course, Bush's nephew (George P. Bush, currently serving as the TX Land Commissioner) probably wouldn't appreciate it.

^^^This. Whatever his own feelings, W doesn't want to hurt his relatives' future in the GOP.

[Torrain]

George Bush, nah.

I'd take Laura Bush's endorsement, (and thus the implied support of W) though.

[7,052,770]

They shouldn't do an event together, but if GWB wants to issue a statement or something, that sounds fine.