That is all too Machiavellian for me to wholehearted buy.
Without Super-PAC’s the campaigns of Jim Gilmore, George Pataki, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Rick Perry, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum and Chris Christie cannot exist. If those candidates had to rely on financial support from the electorate, they could never be in the race. They are only in the race to split votes and support Jeb Bush.
The process is a little less focused than that.
First of all, the GOP leadership doesn't as much which GOP candidate gets elected President, as long as it IS a GOP candidate. Sure, Trump might not be the favorite with them, because he may not be easy to work and his big mouth that people love as a candidate will provide plenty of fuel for the Left to attack. Make no mistake, they will take Trump over any Dem.
Pre-anoint Bush? I'm not buying it. Newt Gingrich explained all of this nearly 25 years ago. He was a relatively unknown GOP Rep from Georgia, and from my District. I went to him just get the scoop on how things in DC really work. He was very happy to do so, and used the then recent '92 election as an example.
As he put, the Dems had no shot at beating GHWB in '91. He was wildly popular after the Gulf War and the foiled assignation attempt by Saddam, and was in for an easy re-election.
The Dems did what parties do without a clear front runner-they round up the usual suspects - Governors, Senators, Representatives, and anyone else with a name. They throw them onto the campaign trail and observe who gets traction.
In '92, two miraculous (for the Dems) things happened. The economy slowed, and then Pat Bucahnnan and H. Ross Perot started slinging mud and an incumbent President. They weakened him, and then Perot did the Third Party thing.
In the mean time, Iowa and New Hampshire came and went, and Bill Clinton, unknown and unheard of, smiled and bullschitted his way to the front of the Dem pack. He came out of a pack of, Jerry Brown, Paul Tsongas, Bob Kerry, Tom Harkins. Gore, Benson, Coumo, Moynahan and others wanted no part of GHWB.
Clinton smiled and smoothly told the Dems that GHWB sucked and he "had a plan" for the economy and everything else. He let Buchanan and Perot savage GHWB and by the time the campaign got going after the conventions, GHWB was dead in the water.
Both Parties now are rounding up the usual suspects and are waiting to see who gets traction in Iowa and New Hampshire and then ride the hot hand.
Dems did that in '08 with Obama. He showed promise after New Hampshire and Iowa and the money and the endorsements came pouring in, but they all waited to see who the people would flock to.
Same here. I don't see another Bush ever getting elected. That brand is done and I can't see the GOP going overboard to make it happen. If the people like him, then they will back him just like any other front runner.
