Between the near coronation of Jeb Bush at an event honoring his dad’s presidency, and Liz Cheney’s defense of her dad’s policies, it was a good weekend for Republican royalty.
There’s not much to say about Cheney — except that this is the perfect illustration of the revolving door.
With a few exceptions, the scions of political power never really go away, and can only fail forward. After failing to big foot a sitting U.S. Senator in Wyoming, Cheney hasn’t missed a beat, returning (back in November) to her coveted panel perch on Sunday Mornings, and to her (unofficial?) role as the chief defender of The Dick Cheney Legacy Project® (as evidenced by Sunday’s appearance).
Arguably, this is the sweeter gig. (What would you rather do on a Sunday morning, go speak to some VFW pancake breakfast in Laramie?)
Of course, Jeb Bush is the big story, inasmuch as he is the potential 2016 Republican presidential nominee. Let me remind you how this works out …
1). Media establishment and Republican intelligentsia generate buzz (some swoon, even.)
2). He wins the nomination (or possibly the presidency).
3). Media turns on him/he betrays conservatives (not necessarily in that order).
4). REPEAT…
Of course, accomplishing this requires both desperation and prestidigitation. To anyone thinking rationally, the whole notion of nominating yet another Bush should seem silly.
As Jim Antle notes,
“Elephants never forget, the cliché goes, but these Republican pachyderms have very short memories. Our last President Bush left office with a 34 percent approval rating, according to Gallup. On the eve of the 2008 election, in which the Republicans were routed, 70 percent disapproved of Bush’s performance in office while 25 percent approved.”
But, of course, you have to consider the fact that non sequiturs mean nothing to people whose gut response to 9-11 was to invade Iraq. Once they start circling the wagons and rallying around a cause — within the GOP, at least, it’s almost a fait accompli. Couple this PR campaign with the fact that Republicans (just as they were in 2000) are desperate for a winner — and is it absurd to think we will be seeing another Bush vs. Clinton battle?
While that sequel (or is it, in a sense, part III?) might raise some eyebrows, my guess is people don’t fully understand just how incestuous things are in politics.
As I wrote back in 2012, right after George Romney’s son lost the presidential election:
“If Jeb (President George’s brother) runs against Hillary (President Bill’s wife), expect Bill Kristol (son of Irving) and Jonah Goldberg (son of Lucianne) to be all over it. Dick Morris (former adviser to Bill and Hill) is probably already working on a ‘Hillary vs. Jeb’ book.
Of course, we’re all just biding time until Tagg Romney and George P. Bush take on the Kennedy kids!”
I forgot to mention Liz Cheney…
UPDATE: ‘Source:[Ted] Kennedy Jr. To Run for State Senate, Announce Tuesday’
