Two longish reads, for the end of the weekend. Do people still use the expression “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations”? Noam Scheiber at TNR on “Mitt, Tagg, and the Romney family’s myth of self-reliance“: THIS WAS SUPPOSED to be the race that Tagg Romney took easy. When his father ran for governor of Massachusetts …
For a party with clear fissures, Jeb Bush is an insurance policy against a Romney loss to Barack Obama. Many Republicans believe losing in November would create an epic struggle between the hard right of the party and the moderates who believe that to win, the GOP has to make a credible effort to court Hispanics. Jeb is the obvious leader of the moderate wing. The people in Jeb’s orbit have been supporting Romney, but with significant reservations because of the extreme positions Romney had to take to secure the nomination. One told me that nobody who decides to build an indoor elevator for their car can get elected in America. Even after the first debate, these people remain convinced a Romney loss is considerably more likely than not. “I don’t see how the math works for him right now,” says a close associate of Jeb’s….
But the gravitational pull of money and Bush-family Manifest Destiny—and, if Romney loses, party desperation—may be too great. As James A. Baker III, secretary of State under 41, the man who helped propel George H.W. Bush to power 40 years ago, tells me: If he were writing this story, “I would not conclude that we’re not going to ever see another Bush candidate.”…
In response, Jeb sent NYMag a letter insisting “My father and brother served their country with integrity, honor and grace. I am honored to be part of their legacy. Our country owes them a debt of gratitude for their leadership during incredibly difficult times…. “
Yeah, “integrity” and “honor” are certainly words any impartial observer would associate with George H.W. ‘traded my every stated principle to become Reagan’s lapdog’, ‘Iran-Contra scandal — what’s that?’ Bush. Or his offspring, George W. ‘Turdblossom, Daddy’s rich friends & my brother’s Florida cronies bought me the Oval Office’, ‘I can’t believe you rubes fell for our WMD scam’ Bush. As for the “grace” part, while Bush Minor’s tenure produced a steady trickle of pratfalls and pretzel-based injuries, his pater was the one who made ‘pulling a Bush’ a foreign-language neologism when he puked in the Japanese Prime Minister’s lap at a state dinner.
And, gawd help our suffering nation, the clan is already prepping another generation of would-be world leaders:
In truth, Jeb Bush may never return to politics, especially if issues surrounding his wife and daughter remain prohibitive. But there are more Bushes in the wings: Jeb’s own sons, George P. Bush and Jeb Jr., both of whom appeared in Tampa on panels. Jeb Jr. has been floated as a congressional candidate in Florida. And with his father’s guidance, George P., age 36, has been assembling pieces for a political run of his own—in Texas, 2014…