After dismal debate, Bush seeks ways to steady campaign

[webfact]

After dismal debate, Bush seeks ways to steady campaign
By JULIE PACE, THOMAS BEAUMONT and KATHLEEN RONAYNE

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — Jeb Bush emerged from the third Republican debate as a candidate in crisis, with supporters struggling to understand why he keeps underperforming and advisers promising a turnaround before it's too late.

Campaigning in New Hampshire Thursday, Bush insisted his White House bid was "not on life support."

Still, advisers concede November will be his campaign's most crucial period to date, a stark contrast to their previous assertions that Bush was best-positioned to outlast rivals in a long campaign. Millions of dollars in TV advertising must start yielding stronger poll numbers, advisers say, and Bush himself must find a way to stop being overshadowed by competitors in the large GOP field.

"The intensity is going to increase," declared Sally Bradshaw, Bush's senior adviser.

To some supporters, that may ring hollow on the heels of Bush's lackluster performance in Wednesday night's debate. Aides have spent weeks promising more forceful performances from the bookish former Florida governor, only to see him repeatedly fall flat.

The contrast between expectations and reality was particularly striking on the debate stage in Colorado. Bush appeared to land a sharp jab on friend and political mentee Marco Rubio, suggesting the senator should resign if he's going to keep skipping votes on Capitol Hill while he campaigns for president. But Bush was glaringly ill-prepared for Rubio's sharp comeback and quickly faded into the background for the rest of the two-hour contest.

It was a painful moment for a candidate once seen as the GOP's best hope for reclaiming the White House. And it deepened concerns about a campaign that less than a week ago was forced to drastically cut its payroll, travel costs and other expenses amid slower-than-expected fundraising.

"He was poorly served by whatever campaign adviser told him to go down that path with Marco," said Brian Ballard, a major fundraiser for both Bush's campaign and super PAC. "It's not the kind of ideas campaign that he has promised."

Ballard said he still believes Bush would be the most capable commander in chief of anyone in the race, but he acknowledged he is "really worried" about the campaign trajectory.

Bush's finance team was fielding so many calls from worried donors in the hours after the debate that a special briefing was hastily scheduled Thursday afternoon. After Bush made small talk about his trip to New Hampshire, Bradshaw began by addressing the debate head-on, telling donors, "It was not our best night."

As part of the campaign's fall revamp, Bush is moving staff out of his Miami headquarters and into early voting states, particularly New Hampshire. The shift ramps up pressure for him in the first-in-the-nation primary, making it essentially a make-or-break state for his campaign.

Aides say Bush will spend longer stretches of time there, including a bus tour next week. While he still plans to hold town hall-style meetings, he'll also add more informal events to his schedule, such as stops at VFW halls for beer and lengthy discussions with veterans.

Bush also plans to release a book that chronicles his time as Florida governor through email correspondence with constituents, another move aimed at helping personalize the son of one president and brother of another.

Supporters in New Hampshire welcome the promise of more campaign resources in their state, but they aren't ready to declare the new strategy the answer to the candidate's problems.

"People are sitting on it and watching to see how it evolves," said Carlos Gonzalez, a New Hampshire state representative and Bush backer.

Another key to Bush's turnaround strategy, according to aides, is getting a return on his team's early investment in television advertising. Right to Rise USA, the main outside group backing Bush, has spent $14.7 million on ads in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, and has reserved an additional $30 million in television time through the first week of February.

Advisers say the biographical TV spots have improved Bush's image, especially in New Hampshire, where the campaign's internal polls show more than half of voters now have a favorable impression of him.

At some point, his super PAC is expected to air advertising critical of other Republicans in the race, especially Rubio, who is seen as the top challenger for Bush's share of the GOP establishment. However, officials with the group would not say when such ads might begin to air.

Campaign and super PAC officials insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the internal planning.

As he travels through New Hampshire and other early states, aides say, Bush will argue that his record in Florida, including cutting taxes, balancing the budget and managing the state through eight hurricanes, best prepares him for the demanding job of president. In a campaign season where voters are voicing frustration with Washington, he'll be cast as a problem solver who can get the nation's capital on track.

As part of that message, Bush's campaign tested a new slogan at the event in New Hampshire Thursday: "Jeb Can Fix It."

Anxious Bush supporters can only hope that's the case.
___

Pace reported from Washington and Beaumont from Boulder, Colo. AP writer Julie Bykowicz contributed from Washington.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-30

[apetley]

"Jeb Bush emerged from the third Republican debate as a candidate in crisis, with supporters struggling to understand why he keeps underperforming....."

It's genetic.

[zaphod reborn]

His campaign was failed from the start. The whole reason that Obama won in '08 was that everyone was so disgusted with his brother, "W". Jeb couldn't shake that bad lingering taste in everyone's mouth and did nothing to distinguish himself in the early campaigning. He has a lot of campaign money from superpacs to burn, but it's just money down the toilet at this point.

[Boon Mee]

Bush is toast along with that other RINO, Kasich

[mamypoko]

Bush is toast along with that other RINO, Kasich

Strange, isn't it? Now the field is left with only the crazies and showmen.

[Suradit69]

"Jeb Bush emerged from the third Republican debate as a candidate in crisis, with supporters struggling to understand why he keeps underperforming....."

It's genetic.

He seems to share his brother's quick wit and charm ... and last name. Odd that he hasn't called on W to campaign for him. That would surely seal the deal.

[Thian]

Yo Bush, how 'bout them weapons of mass destruction?? Got them allready?

[Ulic]

His message vs. his brothers legacy. One is drowned out by the other. In now appears it is Rubio

who will have to carry the moderate GOP flag. Whether he can win the GOP's nomination remains

to be seen. Personally I hope to see a Trump-Cruz GOP ticket, purely for the entertainment value.

You don't get what you deserve, you get what you vote for. Go Trump-Cruz.

[NickJ]

He should hire the fat lady now and have the song ready......

[blazes]

How could a brain surgeon have a brain that allows him to believe that the world was created 6,000 years ago??

[spidermike007]

Some of us are thrilled he is faring so poorly. There is such mediocrity at the moment, running for that office. Nobody of great talent or vision. But, another Bush is the last thing this country needs.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

fool me once, shame and you, fool me twice shame on all of the USA, fool me 3 times....just ain't going to happen this time around. Thank God for that!!!

[SheungWan]

fool me once, shame and you, fool me twice shame on all of the USA, fool me 3 times....just ain't going to happen this time around. Thank God for that!!!

I guess with supporting Hillary its just a fool me twice experience. Is that what you wanted to say?

Edited October 30, 2015 by SheungWan

[RockyBeerbelly]

fool me once, shame and you, fool me twice shame on all of the USA, fool me 3 times....just ain't going to happen this time around. Thank God for that!!!

[landslide]

Some of us are thrilled he is faring so poorly. There is such mediocrity at the moment, running for that office. Nobody of great talent or vision. But, another Bush is the last thing this country needs.

Neither another Bush nor another Clinton. Enough is enough.

[spidermike007]

"Jeb Bush emerged from the third Republican debate as a candidate in crisis, with supporters struggling to understand why he keeps underperforming....."

It's genetic.

He seems to share his brother's quick wit and charm ... and last name. Odd that he hasn't called on W to campaign for him. That would surely seal the deal.

Has there ever been an ex-president (besides Nixon) who has been more invisible, and has contributed less to humanity than Tiny George II? Did this guy do a disappearing act, or what? While the great Jimmy Carter is helping to build up humanity one brick at a time, Tiny George is at home in Crawford counting his ill gotten billions.

[spidermike007]

How could a brain surgeon have a brain that allows him to believe that the world was created 6,000 years ago??

Reminds me of a quote from True Detective (season one, of course) where Rust Cohle is explaining to Marty Hart, why he does not believe in religion. They are watching the fundamentalist preacher doing his magic. He says:

Transference of fear and self loathing to an authoritarian vessel is catharsis. He absorbs their dread with his narrative. Because of this, he is effective in proportion on the amount of certainty he can project. Certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus, that rewrites pathways in the brain, and dulls critical thinking.

[Credo]

It's too bad he didn't run years ago instead of his brother. He is a lot more appealing and level headed than his older brother, IMO.

[Boon Mee]

Bush is toast along with that other RINO, Kasich

Strange, isn't it? Now the field is left with only the crazies and showmen.

Ted Cruz is the most likely cantidate to debate HRC into the ground.

They don't get them smarter than Ted...

[Srikcir]

"Smart or dumb, short of tall, influential or not, some Presidents have just been admired by the voters, and said to have something extra - a charisma."

When you compare the charisma of Presidents Reagan, Clinton and Obama to Jeb and Rubio - Jeb loses and Rubio wins. Trump wins and Carson loses. All the other Republican candidates are just white noise.

[bendejo]

No one has said it yet, but Jeb as pres would be W's third term. He already said he would have the same neocon advisors as his brother, so as far as foreign policy is concerned there you have it. W was able to play golf and tend to keeping up the ranch while his veep ran the show. Cheney re-wrote the powers of the veep, that office now has more power and potential. There is going to be fierce jockeyng for the veep position if Jeb gets the nod.

I think there is some, er, logic in Camp Bush that if they could manage to shovel his puddin' head brother into the WH it should be even easier to do it with Jeb. But does anyone else remember how, by the time the voting in 2000 primaries began there was only one contender (McCain) to run against him? I've always had the impression others were scared off, with blackmail and otherwise. Can anyone honestly say that W would have survived a debate like the three we've seen?

Something I've been anticipating is that one of the elder Bushes will be taken sick, lots of media coverage, critical lists, etc. Jeb will get a lot of sympathy which will translate into votes ("poor guy, his mother's in the hospital"). I'm expecting this during the holiday season, with enough time to impact Super Tuesday. Yes, this is very cynical thinking. About a month before the 2000 elections I saw a documentary about W that mostly focused on the little boy whose sister died at an early age, and is still haunted by it. At the end there wasn't a dry eye in the house. And this was on PBS in the US, notorious as a viper's nest of liberals, commies, etc.

I'm wondering if the GOP is heading for an open convention. If it came down to that it could work in Jeb's favor.

Edited October 30, 2015 by bendejo

[SheungWan]

No one has said it yet, but Jeb as pres would be W's third term. He already said he would have the same neocon advisors as his brother, so as far as foreign policy is concerned there you have it. W was able to play golf and tend to keeping up the ranch while his veep ran the show. Cheney re-wrote the powers of the veep, that office now has more power and potential. There is going to be fierce jockeyng for the veep position if Jeb gets the nod.

I think there is some, er, logic in Camp Bush that if they could manage to shovel his puddin' head brother into the WH it should be even easier to do it with Jeb. But does anyone else remember how, by the time the voting in 2000 primaries began there was only one contender (McCain) to run against him? I've always had the impression others were scared off, with blackmail and otherwise. Can anyone honestly say that W would have survived a debate like the three we've seen?

Something I've been anticipating is that one of the elder Bushes will be taken sick, lots of media coverage, critical lists, etc. Jeb will get a lot of sympathy which will translate into votes ("poor guy, his mother's in the hospital"). I'm expecting this during the holiday season, with enough time to impact Super Tuesday. Yes, this is very cynical thinking. About a month before the 2000 elections I saw a documentary about W that mostly focused on the little boy whose sister died at an early age, and is still haunted by it. At the end there wasn't a dry eye in the house. And this was on PBS in the US, notorious as a viper's nest of liberals, commies, etc.

I'm wondering if the GOP is heading for an open convention. If it came down to that it could work in Jeb's favor.

Well good luck with those ideas. The problem is that in the most recent match-up Bush thoroughly failed to present himself having any energy, dynamism or vision full-stop. If anything he is dead in the water and not fit to run against Hillary. IMHO, no way back now. If we rule out the evangelical wingnuts, that leaves us 2 candidates still worth supporting in the race, namely Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie, but they are going to have their work cut out to overtake Trump.

[Ulysses G.]

Bush is toast along with that other RINO, Kasich

Strange, isn't it? Now the field is left with only the crazies and showmen.

Ted Cruz is the most likely cantidate to debate HRC into the ground.

They don't get them smarter than Ted...

From what I can tell, Marco Rubio is his equal intellectually and a lot better looking and charsimatic. All and all, he is my first choice.

[blazes]

No one has said it yet, but Jeb as pres would be W's third term. He already said he would have the same neocon advisors as his brother, so as far as foreign policy is concerned there you have it. W was able to play golf and tend to keeping up the ranch while his veep ran the show. Cheney re-wrote the powers of the veep, that office now has more power and potential. There is going to be fierce jockeyng for the veep position if Jeb gets the nod.

I think there is some, er, logic in Camp Bush that if they could manage to shovel his puddin' head brother into the WH it should be even easier to do it with Jeb. But does anyone else remember how, by the time the voting in 2000 primaries began there was only one contender (McCain) to run against him? I've always had the impression others were scared off, with blackmail and otherwise. Can anyone honestly say that W would have survived a debate like the three we've seen?

Something I've been anticipating is that one of the elder Bushes will be taken sick, lots of media coverage, critical lists, etc. Jeb will get a lot of sympathy which will translate into votes ("poor guy, his mother's in the hospital"). I'm expecting this during the holiday season, with enough time to impact Super Tuesday. Yes, this is very cynical thinking. About a month before the 2000 elections I saw a documentary about W that mostly focused on the little boy whose sister died at an early age, and is still haunted by it. At the end there wasn't a dry eye in the house. And this was on PBS in the US, notorious as a viper's nest of liberals, commies, etc.

I'm wondering if the GOP is heading for an open convention. If it came down to that it could work in Jeb's favor.

Very good, but you neglect to mention that the elder Bush (mom or pop) miraculously survives the brush with death at Xmas time and recovers in time to make an appearance in New Hampshire with little Jeb.

God be praised...the evangelical vote is safe.

Edited October 30, 2015 by blazes