Sinking from front-runner to only 5%, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush attacked GOP front-runner real estate mogul Donald Trump. Jeb accused Trump on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper of running his campaign like his “Celebrity Apprentice” reality TV show, mostly acting but not taking foreign or domestic policy seriously. “He’s not taking the responsibility, the possibility of being president of the United States really serious,” said Jeb, responding to recent comments by Trump that Sept. 11 happened under his brother, former President George W. Bush’s watch. Jeb insisted that his brother kept the country safe, while Trump pointed out the World Trade Center and Pentagon went down on his brother’s watch. Bush hopes to reverse the nosedive in his campaign, leaving him far back in a crowded GOP field, after taking more than $100 million in donors’ money.
Jeb’s prodigious fund-raising had more to do with his family name before other candidates could gain traction with the donor base. Attacking Trump could backfire on Jeb because he’s no longer close in line to Trump’s front-runner status. Jeb finds himself behind several other GOP candidates, including retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), polling at only 5%. Attacking Trump makes no sense other than pretending to his donors he’s still a front-runner, when, in fact, he finds himself in sixth place among active GOP candidates. Bush’s campaign ran an ad saying that Trump couldn’t be trusted with the nuclear codes of the U.S. arsenal of 4,650 warheads. Attacking Trump gives Bush’s donors the impression that Jeb continues to be the GOP’s most viable candidate.
Jeb’s foreign and domestic policy credentials stems from intensive briefings received only during the campaign. Out of the Florida governor’s office since Jan. 7, 2007, Jeb has been virtually absent from politics until he decided June 15 to run for president. “For him, it looks as though he’s an actor playing a role of the candidate for president. No boning up on the issues, not having a broad sense of the responsibilities of what it sis to be president,” Jeb told Tapper. Trump’s style, which obviously resonates with voters, is far more spontaneous on the campaign trail. When Jeb talks of Donald’s lack of “bonging up,” he’s referring to his own over-preparation, carefully memorizing talking points before speaking to the media, debating or going on the stump. Jeb’s rehearsed, over-practiced presentation has made him look awkward, often non-responsible to relatively simple questions.
Going after Trump gives Bush renewed status while the polls show he’s running in sixth place at only 5%. Attacking Trump isn’t going to rescue Jeb’s tailspin that has to do with too many gaffes on the campaign trail. His latest dust-up with Trump over Sept. 11 shows that Jeb doesn’t really get voters objections to another Bush for president. Jeb can’t acknowledge that his brother’s mistake of toppling Saddam Hussein April 10, 2003. Jeb likes to talk about how Bush-43 kept the country safe but clearly the Iraq War created the Mideast crisis and terrorism epidemic giving rise to ISIS. Most voters, whether Democratic or Republican, acknowledge serious foreign policy blunders by the Bush-Cheney administration. Only Jeb can’t admit that his brother’s foreign policy caused today’s Mideast chaos and led, in 2008, to the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression.
Jeb criticized Trump for saying that he didn’t have a problem with Russia going after ISIS and other terrorist groups. “I mean, literally, talking about Syria, saying ISIS should take out Assad, then Russia should take out ISIS, as though it was some kind of board game, and not a serious approach,” said Jeb, misquoting what Trump said about Syria. Trump simply said that he has no problem with the Russians battling ISIS or other terrorist groups seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Jeb actually backs taking out al-Assad, the same approach his brother took taking down Saddam Hussein. Trump never agreed in principle to taking out al-Assad. Jeb continues to attack Trump on his foreign policy because Trump’s the only Republican, with the exception of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who opposed the Iraq War because it spread terrorism and caused today’s Middle East chaos.
Jeb attacks Trump to make himself look relevant, when his campaign is actually sinking by the day. What voters don’t like about Jeb is precisely what they like about Trump, his honesty, directness and spontaneity. “Jeb, why did your brother attack and [destabilize] the Middle East by attacking Iraq when there were no weapons on mass destruction?” Trump tweeted, Sunday. “Bad info?” raising the real doubts about Jeb’s capacity to make sound foreign and domestic policy decisions. “This is just another example of the lack of seriousness,” said Bush. “And this is a serious time. We’re under grave threats again, and I think were need a president with a steady hand,” said Jeb, using his brother’s oft-quoted refrain. Trump infuriated the Bush camp calling into question what happened with Sept. 11 on Bush’s watch. Jeb attacks Trump because it creates more buzz on network and cable news.
