George W. Bush underrated as a campaigner?

[BritishDixie]

I know Bush's election victories were both very close and bitterly disputed, but if you look at the change from 1996 to 2000:

1996

2000

He managed to swing 11 states (more than Obama managed in 2008) into the Republican column, at a time when the economy was booming and the President had high approval ratings. I can't think of a time when that has ever happened, with the possible exception of 1960. Bush also increased the Republican vote share by almost 8 percentage points.

Surely he should garner a place as a great campaigner?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Clinton came in on when four states in the south were still Democratic LA,AR,MO and FL.
Once the Gingrich revolution came in 1994 the southern strategy came full effect and the Democrats have to rely now on OH and Goldwater West and VA to win the WH now. Also, Bob Livingstone during the Lewinsky crisis really changed Louisiana from a Democratic stronghold to a reliable GOP state by also imploying the southern strategy when he became Speaker Designate.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

What amazes me is 2004, how he was able to pull together Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. Eight years later, I'd be surprised to see a Republican take that. Why can't we return to the good ol' days!?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Blame the tea party and far right reactionaries.

[Donerail]

What amazes me is 2004, how he was able to pull together Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. Eight years later, I'd be surprised to see a Republican take that. Why can't we return to the good ol' days!?

Because people have become more rational.

[memphis]

What amazes me is 2004, how he was able to pull together Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. Eight years later, I'd be surprised to see a Republican take that. Why can't we return to the good ol' days!?

Take a look at demographic changes in those states. The Upper Mississippi is an interesting case. Hard to say if 2008 was an ethanol fueled aberration or what.

[Phony Moderate]

Worth noting that he was up against mediocre campaigners.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Yes, but Karl Rove is overrated as a strategist.

[old timey villain]

Well, Clinton was the last hurrah for the southern Democrats. The south still trended R during the 90s but Clinton was able to pick up a few rural southern states based on regional appeal alone. I'd argue that Bush's sweep in the south was just a return to normalcy.

But yeah, I've always believed that Bush is underrated as a campaigner, mainly because the Bush family fights dirty. Of course, they hire political strategists like Karl Rove and Lee Atwater to do the dirty work for them, but it's effective. They crush their opponents by any means necessary, which usually consists of brutally smearing their opponents with lies and fabrications, and the best part is that nobody seems to call them out for it because the family is so well established and perceived as being "too classy" for that kind of campaigning.

Just my opinion of course, but if you watch this great documentary about Lee Atwater on Netflix, you'll see what I mean. I'll never forgive the Bush campaign for what they did to John McCain in 2000.

Governing is a different story though

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

What amazes me is 2004, how he was able to pull together Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. Eight years later, I'd be surprised to see a Republican take that. Why can't we return to the good ol' days!?

Take a look at demographic changes in those states. The Upper Mississippi is an interesting case. Hard to say if 2008 was an ethanol fueled aberration or what.

Guessing you mean immigration and the growth of Hispanics. It'd be tolerable if it looked like we were compensating in a different region (Rust Belt, anyone?) but it doesn't even look like that's happening. If the GOP does win in 2012, it'll be a miracle, numbers-wise. I think we'd have to take another loss just so we're able to sit back and see where we are, and how we can move forward. Republican incumbency would just pro-long the nightmare.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I doubt anything would come out of those states, except possibly New Mexico (which was technically closer than Florida that year by raw totals).

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

YES, a big yes. People, even his own mother, didn't expect him to win the governorship in 1994. His dad had always favored Jeb and Jeb was the one that lost an election. Like father like son for loosing elections.

GWB pulled a great thing in 1994. Despite overall political climate, Ann Richards was long considered the most popular Governor of Texas since at least John Connally, and Bush ran a great campaing, ending up with comfortable win, while Jeb failed to unseat Chiles the same year, even if Florida was considered far more likely to flip than Texas. Well, truth is Lawton Chiles was a living legend.

[Donerail]

YES, a big yes. People, even his own mother, didn't expect him to win the governorship in 1994. His dad had always favored Jeb and Jeb was the one that lost an election. Like father like son for loosing elections.

GWB pulled a great thing in 1994. Despite overall political climate, Ann Richards was long considered the most popular Governor of Texas since at least John Connally, and Bush ran a great campaing, ending up with comfortable win, while Jeb failed to unseat Chiles the same year, even if Florida was considered far more likely to flip than Texas. Well, truth is Lawton Chiles was a living legend.

We still miss Lawton, too, especially with the guy who's in there now.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

YES, a big yes. People, even his own mother, didn't expect him to win the governorship in 1994. His dad had always favored Jeb and Jeb was the one that lost an election. Like father like son for loosing elections.

GWB pulled a great thing in 1994. Despite overall political climate, Ann Richards was long considered the most popular Governor of Texas since at least John Connally, and Bush ran a great campaing, ending up with comfortable win, while Jeb failed to unseat Chiles the same year, even if Florida was considered far more likely to flip than Texas. Well, truth is Lawton Chiles was a living legend.

We still miss Lawton, too, especially with the guy who's in there now.

I must say, Chiles was an incredible figure. Walked across the whole state and refused to take campaign donations larger than $10.