Jeb Bush’s floundering presidential campaign Monday got a boost from novelist Christopher Buckley, whose father, the late William Buckley, founded the flagship conservative publication National Review.
On “Morning Joe,” Buckley, who earlier this month blasted Donald Trump for “disgraceful” and “inflammatory” rhetoric, pretty much endorsed Bush He wistfully hoped that the real estate magnate, who has sucked the win out of Bush’s bid, could somehow be expunged from the the race.
“There are a number of talented Republicans running. They each seem to have — I mean, if you removed Donald Trump — oh Lord, hear my words — if you removed, went back and retroactively removed Donald Trump from this lineup, who do you think would be leading the pack now?” Buckley rhetorically asked co-host Joe Scarborough.
“It’s hard to say. One feels for poor Jeb Bush. The word ‘poor’ has now become sort of permanently annexed to — I mean, Jeb Bush is a good, decent, capable, hard-working guy.”
“He’s one of the brightest,” Buckley contended. “I think we would be in very good hands with a President Jeb Bush. He is not, as we have found out, a gifted campaigner.”
Of course, given how the race is unfolding Buckley is defiantly standing athwart campaign history and yelling stop.