Trump vs. Bush: Will real conservative please stand up?
Jeb Bush versus Donald Trump: Who鈥檚 the real conservative?
That鈥檚 the question former Florida Governor Bush wants Republican voters to ask themselves when weighing candidate options. Or New Hampshire voters, at least: At a town-hall meeting in the Granite State on Wednesday, Bush had combative words for The Donald in regard to the latter鈥檚 past political positions, which have included support for tax increases and kind words about single-payer health care.
鈥淢r. Trump doesn鈥檛 have a proven conservative record. He was a Democrat longer in the last decade than he was a Republican. He鈥檚 given more money to Democrats than he鈥檚 given to Republicans,鈥� Bush said .
That鈥檚 Bush鈥檚 hardest slap at Trump to date. Perhaps Bush has decided it鈥檚 time to take the golf gloves off and mix it up a bit with the man who鈥檚 now leading GOP polls.
After all, a Bush loss in New Hampshire would batter his presidential chances. And right now, he鈥檚 trailing Trump there by 13.5 points, according to the . Meanwhile, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is only one point behind Bush, and coming up fast.
Hence the Bush team鈥檚 new 鈥渨e鈥檙e the rightmost鈥� strategy.
鈥淛eb Bush PAC launches campaign defining him as a real conservative, as he brands Donald Trump a closet D. Play is clear. Will it work?鈥� on Thursday.
We鈥檙e unsure. On the one hand, it鈥檚 true that Trump has espoused Democratic policies in the past. The Clintons attended his most recent wedding. Some Republicans might think that鈥檚 as bad as Chris Christie鈥檚 Obama hug.
But when this comes up, Trump鈥檚 insouciant reply is that sure, he was a Democrat once. So was Ronald Reagan.
And in terms of current hot-button issues, it鈥檚 Bush, not Trump, who needs to convince the right of his bona fides.
Bush鈥檚 support of a path to legal status for undocumented workers is anathema to many conservatives. Trump, meanwhile, wants to end birthright citizenship, force Mexico to wall itself off from the United States, and deport everyone who shouldn鈥檛 be in the country.
Bush has also backed Common Core educational standards, a position at odds with many GOP voters. Trump has called Common Core
Plus, Trump鈥檚 got his own countertactics against Bush鈥檚 ideology attack. It鈥檚 more personal: Bush is boring. He isn鈥檛.
鈥淵ou know what鈥檚 happening to Jeb Bush鈥檚 crowd just down the street?鈥� Trump said at his own New Hampshire town hall Wednesday. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e sleeping!鈥�
Trump went on to describe Bush as 鈥渓ow energy鈥� 鈥� a kind of personal attack, reminiscent of the 1988 GOP campaign when some rivals charged that George H.W. Bush was too wimpy to be president.
Mr. Bush won that election, of course. But in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Trump drew a bigger and more enthusiastic crowd than Jeb.
鈥淲hile most candidates pretend 鈥� at least this early in the game 鈥� to adhere to a certain level of decorum and shy away from putting fellow candidates down, Trump knows no boundaries,鈥� .
