As surprising and depressing is the rise of Donald Trump and the realization that there are breathing humans who see him as presidential, the non-rise and fast fall of Jeb (!) Bush has been pretty amazing.
I'd never paid much attention to him, even when he was governor of FLA. I guess, because the bar was so low, I accepted that he was "the smart one," but I had no reason to believe it specifically. Then he rose above the horizon with his unspeakably foul role in the delayed death of Terry Schiavo. After that, I should have known.
Still, his level of tone-deafness and amateurish awkwardness has been a surprise. As has his response to the realization that there's no way in hell that he'll be assuming the mantle of the presidency promised to him by his hard-earned Bushness. It borders on inducing sadness, as his campaign has rendered the most pathetic and unceasing series of embarrassments imaginable.
That gun tweet, though. That really does it, says everything. Along with the word "America" it's nearly incomprehensible. The only way such a combination of visual and linguistic awfulness would make sense is if he meant it ironically. As in, "Look at what's become of us, and weep." Clearly, though, he meant it as a showcase of his America-fuck-yeah-itude. The goodest of good old boys, is Jeb (!).
Did he tweet it himself? If not, did it get his prior approval? Is there someone on his campaign staff that craven? Yes, I guess "sad" is the word. It makes you want to turn away, both in revulsion at the message and at the flop-sweat smell of his desperation.
C'mon, Jeb (!) Do yourself a favor, salvage the last remaining quantum of dignity and call it a day.
I doubt Jeb? will drop out of the race until it's obvious he's lost the voters across the board. Right now, he's got his insiders and his handlers and his party apparatus behind him, and he's probably deluded that at some point he'll win the base back. But if he loses Florida, his base of support, THEN he'll have to face facts and realize he's not going to be in any position to win out with the delegates (it'll hurt that Florida is a Winner-Take-All primary as well).
ReplyDeleteThe only other thing that will keep Jeb^ in the race is that convention. Even if Trump wins enough delegates, Jeb's people may have enough control of the rules of order for the nominating convention that they can rig it to Jeb's favor. Problem is, of course, is that would be so blatant a power play that the entire party will split: Trump will definitely flee in anger to run as a Third Party independent and take 30-40 percent of the GOP voters with him.
I note your Florida connections. Do you think Jeb Ω will, in fact, lose there? Sorta a choice between the lesser of two weevils.
ReplyDeletePlease clap! Jeb! is now Toast!
ReplyDeleteToo bad though, I would've liked to see him pour many, many more millions of dollars down the shit hole.
And now, being liberal and, therefore, empathetic, I feel a little bit sorry for him. OTOH, I like the fact that dragging his bro into it didn't help at all.
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