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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Republicans still struggle with the spectre of George W Bush | Republicans still struggle with the spectre of George W Bush |
| (7 days later) | |
| He is the ghost at the banquet. The absence whose name and whose policies shall not be uttered. That is George W Bush. Two-time Republican president. Last president of that political flavour. And in the most recent of memory. | He is the ghost at the banquet. The absence whose name and whose policies shall not be uttered. That is George W Bush. Two-time Republican president. Last president of that political flavour. And in the most recent of memory. |
| He is the president who – by and large – this Republican convention would airbrush from its political history. But why? | He is the president who – by and large – this Republican convention would airbrush from its political history. But why? |
| The former president's brother Jeb Bush, recently said in an interview with ABC: "[My brother] knows that he will be a target. The president has spent a lot of time and energy around this notion that: 'I can't do anything about it. It's all Bush's fault. You know I'm trying, but it's not working because it's Bush's fault.'" | The former president's brother Jeb Bush, recently said in an interview with ABC: "[My brother] knows that he will be a target. The president has spent a lot of time and energy around this notion that: 'I can't do anything about it. It's all Bush's fault. You know I'm trying, but it's not working because it's Bush's fault.'" |
| The only visible presence of the legacy of the Bush years – by the time the convention finishes – will have been an appearance by Condoleezza Rice and a brief video appearance by George W himself who has endorsed Mitt Romney as potentially a "great president" by almost remote control. | The only visible presence of the legacy of the Bush years – by the time the convention finishes – will have been an appearance by Condoleezza Rice and a brief video appearance by George W himself who has endorsed Mitt Romney as potentially a "great president" by almost remote control. |
| Indeed it has been left almost to Rice alone to defend Bush's record, saying on Wednesday: "President Bush led in really, really difficult times. He kept us safe. He led with honour and integrity. I think the American people are seeing that and history will judge him on that." | Indeed it has been left almost to Rice alone to defend Bush's record, saying on Wednesday: "President Bush led in really, really difficult times. He kept us safe. He led with honour and integrity. I think the American people are seeing that and history will judge him on that." |
| In some respects it is understandable. Bush left the White House in 2008 with dismal approval ratings which – despite some minor retrospective improvement – still paints him as a deeply unpopular and divisive figure. | In some respects it is understandable. Bush left the White House in 2008 with dismal approval ratings which – despite some minor retrospective improvement – still paints him as a deeply unpopular and divisive figure. |
| As the Washington Post has pointed out avoiding the real Bush legacy in the coming weeks of the campaign may be a little more difficult to do than dodging the figure of the man himself. | As the Washington Post has pointed out avoiding the real Bush legacy in the coming weeks of the campaign may be a little more difficult to do than dodging the figure of the man himself. |
| As the paper pointed out on Wednesday: "Many of the stimulus and bailout programmes Republicans like to skewer Obama for actually originated with Bush. And the deep recession that confronted Obama began in December 2007 when Bush was still president." | As the paper pointed out on Wednesday: "Many of the stimulus and bailout programmes Republicans like to skewer Obama for actually originated with Bush. And the deep recession that confronted Obama began in December 2007 when Bush was still president." |
| It is all in stark contrast to the role that former Democratic president Bill Clinton will play at the Democrat Convention in North Carolina where he will introduce Obama. | It is all in stark contrast to the role that former Democratic president Bill Clinton will play at the Democrat Convention in North Carolina where he will introduce Obama. |
| In a post for The New Republic – The GOP's Unreckoning With The Disappeared Dubya – Alec MacGillis interviewed convention delegates in Tampa. "The last year of Bush's presidency, he was despised by a lot of people," MacGillis was told by one, 32-year-old Andrew Lee. | In a post for The New Republic – The GOP's Unreckoning With The Disappeared Dubya – Alec MacGillis interviewed convention delegates in Tampa. "The last year of Bush's presidency, he was despised by a lot of people," MacGillis was told by one, 32-year-old Andrew Lee. |
| In truth, Bush said months ago that he would not attend the convention in Tampa but as Dan Froomkin argues in the Huffington Post his absence has created a "metaphysical problem". | In truth, Bush said months ago that he would not attend the convention in Tampa but as Dan Froomkin argues in the Huffington Post his absence has created a "metaphysical problem". |
| "That's because," Froomkin argues, "Bush's very existence belies two of the most critical selling points of GOP nominee Mitt Romney's presidential campaign: that tax cuts for the rich will create jobs, and that Romney is bringing a fresh new approach that can turn the country's fortunes around." | "That's because," Froomkin argues, "Bush's very existence belies two of the most critical selling points of GOP nominee Mitt Romney's presidential campaign: that tax cuts for the rich will create jobs, and that Romney is bringing a fresh new approach that can turn the country's fortunes around." |
| In other words, the denial of the Bush legacy is a political gamble for Republicans – in trying to disavow the man can they avoid disavowing what he stood for, not least at a time when Obama is still managing to make political capital out of the costly failures of the Bush years including trillions spent on two failing wars and damaging tax cuts. | In other words, the denial of the Bush legacy is a political gamble for Republicans – in trying to disavow the man can they avoid disavowing what he stood for, not least at a time when Obama is still managing to make political capital out of the costly failures of the Bush years including trillions spent on two failing wars and damaging tax cuts. |
| Which means that Romney must not only demonstrate that he is the Un-Obama but the Un-Bush too. | Which means that Romney must not only demonstrate that he is the Un-Obama but the Un-Bush too. |
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