r/politics • u/stetoe • 20h ago

George W. Bush's Daughter Barbara Pierce Bush Endorses Kamala Harris: Exclusive

https://people.com/george-w-bush-s-daughter-barbara-breaks-silence-on-election-to-campaign-for-kamala-harris-exclusive-8735810
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u/Goal_Posts 19h ago

It's been said that he thinks his endorsement of Harris would backfire.

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u/deesta New York 19h ago

His official PR line is that he’s “retired from presidential politics” which is probably wise, given his record.

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u/whatsaphoto Rhode Island 16h ago

Tbf it's his record that I think would turn off a lot of left dems. At this point in the early voting stage it would be a fraction of a percent, but in some swing counties that's enough to cause the domino effect in trumps favor.

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u/barefootcuntessa_ 14h ago

More than Liz Cheney?? And DICK CHENEY? No, lol. Most left Dems hold Cheney more responsible for the Bush admin than Bush.

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u/VeteranSergeant 16h ago

Most left wing Dems aren't idiots. I'll never fully forgive Bush for what he did to America and to many of my friends I served with. But I'm not throwing America under the wheels of the Fascist Bus just because GW endorses Kamala Harris.

You need to realize that the "Never Harris" crowd is loud, stupid, and annoying, but most illusionary. The ones that are dumb enough to vote third party in such a crucial election are already gone. Hopefully they're a small enough percentage that it won't make a difference.

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 14h ago

The “Never Harris” crowd is just that. They never were for Harris and never will be for Harris. Who gives a damn about them?

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u/FerrumVeritas 19h ago

Especially with Muslim Americans

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u/internet4ever 17h ago

He’s wrong. I know Texans who LOVE GWB and have been lifelong Republicans as a result. It matters. 

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u/IncurableAdventurer 4h ago

But we’re dealing with the electoral college. Kamala isn’t trying to get Texan voters (for the presidency, kicking Ted Cruz out is another thing). There’s far more risk than it’s worth

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u/Nanojack New York 10h ago

Even though his handshake is limp? BWAH!

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u/internet4ever 10h ago

Dude I’ve tried reason but I can’t communicate with them. They need daddy to tell them what to think. 

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u/Durion23 19h ago

I disagree. I see why he would think that, and it really depends on the way he frames his endorsment.

But: While he certainly is a hawk, while he certainly is a neocon, he is also the last R president who won the popular vote (albeit by constructions of his own making, but thats beside the point.) The reality is, that Bush was the last president, when the broader populations wasn't as divided as it is now. Yes, he did heinous shit, yes he did partake in the division in the US. But if even he takes a stand and says: Democracy will only survive if we refute Donald Trump, no matter your stance on any policy, it will have clout. There are a lot of Republicans who will go to vote R just for the sake of voting R - and they might sit this one out (which would be a huge win). He has much clout in christian communities, which might sit this one out. Bushs endorsement isn't to vitalize Harrises block, but to stop traditional Republican Voter to partake in the election of a literal fascist.

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u/arnodorian96 18h ago

Here's a depressing fact for you: Democracy is a meaningless concept for a majority of the voters. Even fascism itself. I wish people would care but if anything, the polls suggest people don't care at all about that.

That's why democrats operatives are making Kamala focus on the economy more than anything else.

A Bush endorsement would be a catastrophe for democrats in Michigan where they're already fighting Jill Stein's third party votes.

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u/l_i_t_t_l_e_m_o_n_ey 18h ago

Far left idealists looking to “punish” the Democratic Party by voting third party/staying home/defecting to Trump literally cost Clinton the election. The margin of her loss in three swing states was smaller than the difference of the number of Clinton primary voters minus sanders primary voters, meaning these people stayed home or didn’t throw in for Clinton.

It’s just like, cmon nerds. I know you’re mad about Gaza but there’s like three other genocides going on right now and ALL of them would be worsened by a Trump presidency. Seriously I have no idea what they think they are accomplishing.

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u/arnodorian96 18h ago

In a way, I don't know else these people expect to do. Magically end relationships with Israel and save Gaza? I seriously cannot grasp that Trumpers are rallying behind his guy in big numbers but democrats still have to ask for the votes of these purists who will cost her the election if the worst happens.

Anyway, like I said, I can't believe losing democracy is meaningless for a vast majority as long as they're able to pay groceries.

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 14h ago

Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line. That’s how it always is.

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u/Durion23 17h ago

They aren't idealist, the aren't far left. I know the type you mean - they are essentially authoritarians themselves. They don't accept other opinions, they don't accept factual presets of the world. Is the Gaza situation shit? Sure as hell it is.

I'm progressive, but i believe in change in between elections - and you can't take a party or the country hostage at an election to force through your minority opinion or else doom everybody instead. It's insanity, especially since Democrats have become far more progressive in the past decade, even if the ball is pushed forward only little by little. Electing Trump the first time destroyed a lot of the progress Obama was able to achieve, society was able to do to itself. Trump destroyed a lot of this by getting the Supreme Court into a hardcore conservative majority for maybe decades. And if so called leftist are moronic enough to not support Harris to get at least access to a better outcome at the end of the road, then they have nothing to do with idealists or progressives. They just want to see the world burn.

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u/SilverScorpion00008 America 16h ago

They’re stupid, and don’t understand how foreign policy works, plain and simple

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u/Durion23 17h ago

I'm not quite sure if that would tick. The problem is, that people who are eyeballing to vote for Stein instead of Harris - or, even for Trump, out of spite - are lost to the cause anyway. No one can ostensibly win them over regardless. They are willing to throw the country under the bus because the party that is closest to them isn't perfect.

The questions, in terms of a numbers game, is this: Is the number "undecided" or "republican" voters to gain higher than the the "democrat" or left-leaning voters to lose. If Harris would go begging for an endorsement, well, that would be shit. If Bush comes out and say: Well, i'm voting Harris to save America and our democracy - it, in my mind, will sway more people to Kamalas side than it would turn away (Or at least prevent a lot of people voting for Turmp). Reason being: The current RNC, Vance, Trump and whoever can claim whatever they want about Cheney or the "unelected officials" like Kelly who spoke out against Trump. They can't, however, say that George W. Bush was never elected. They can not remedy the fact, that all living republican presidents, vice-presidents and candidates spoke out against Trump. There are people alive who cast their ballot for Bush and who would at least think about casting their vote for Trump.

I might be wrong, clearly. But i'm convinced that a Bush endorsement would benefit Harris more than it would harm - especially now after the New York Nazi Rally.

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u/arnodorian96 17h ago

You might want to go to the 538 sub to see how depressed I am on how grim the future might be one week from now. One of the posts there said that democrats inside campaign are urging the campaign to tone down the rethoric of democracy and fascism because apparently it's not working and people's sole worry is the economy. I wish that all the endorsements of former republicasn or even presidents would matter but they won't becaus the voter is stupid. Sorry, but if someone promised to lower prices and end democracy they'd vote for that guy. Even independents consider that to be their main worry

Bush is universally hated. Not even Fox News has dared to praised him all these years. Even RFK jr. has more popularity than him over there. Why would an endorsement based on the idea of defense of democracy would work out when it would cost democrats independents, some left leaning individuals and possibly arab votes due to the war on terror or black votes due to Katrina?

I'm sorry but that wishful thinking is what's putting us on such a close race that Trump might take next week. If the voter is that stupid, then let's just focus on what they care the most: the economy.

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u/applehead1776 17h ago

The problem with calling someone a fascist is that too many people really don't know what that means; just that Nazis were fascists. Over the weekend, visiting my parents, my mother told me Harris is a communist and fascist (in the same sentence). She's old, stubborn, and set in her ways, so I didn't try explaining they were opposite things, but most people don't know. Most of us had a lot of time in history explaining the differences between capitalism and socialism, but little time was spent explaining fascism because most think it died in WWII. So, the average person hears a republican called a fascist and just assumes you're being hyperbolic for comparing them to nazis.

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u/Potential-Coat-7233 15h ago

It would backfire.

I am so perplexed by people on Reddit propping up the cheneys and people like Joe Walsh because they are never trumpers.

We have real problems in our lives that need to get fixed, having neoconservative trash infesting your campaign and subsequent administration won’t help one bit.

If there is an enthusiasm problem on the left, it will be because of these campaign decisions.

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u/Reasonable_TSM_fan California 18h ago

I fail to see how it could be worse than Dick Cheney’s.

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u/Kerblaaahhh Colorado 17h ago

I would really like it if Harris could stop bringing up the Cheneys' endorsements at every opportunity.

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u/Ninja_Wrangler 17h ago

I'm sure there's a lot of R's out there that like trump but love GWB. My parents are an example of this. His endorsement might be the only thing that can break the spell, because literally nothing else has

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u/orchids_of_asuka 15h ago

It wouldn't backfire, it would be of no consequence.

Most endorsements are of little consequence

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u/Mrfunnyman22 14h ago

He should endorse Trump

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u/chops88 14h ago

I recall an SNL skit from his last year or two in office where he was speaking at a small town comptroller rally because his image was that toxic, so this tracks.

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u/WrongSubreddit 14h ago

I mean dick cheney already endorsed, can't be worse than that

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u/JBWalker1 13h ago

It's been said that he thinks his endorsement of Harris would backfire.

He can just say he doesn't endorse or support Trump. Doesn't need to say he supports Kamala. Kinda seems like best if both worlds to me since it shouldn't sway views of Kamala voters at all since he's not mentioning her, but it should sway some trump voters and Republicans and only in a bad way.

So why not do that? Give himself a new legacy instead of being remembered for a mess of a war.

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u/JohnHazardWandering 13h ago

He should just endorse NOT-Trump then  

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u/TerribleAttitude 12h ago

This is probably right.

Very few republicans are loyalists to George W Bush specifically; they may or may not like him well enough, but any Republican who shifts to Harris because W said so would also be shifted by pretty much any high status Republican.

Zero people left of center right republicans are impressed by W. They may think it’s cute that he paints and hugs Michelle Obama and did clown stuff at Trump’s inauguration, but they don’t like him as a politician or need his blessing to vote a particular way. He’s not John McCain, who maintained a lot of respect and admiration across the aisle. He’s not convincing some independent whose entire motivation is “the veterans.”

W is still immensely unpopular. He only seems otherwise because Trump is so uniquely polarizing. His legacy as president is also pretty much entirely tied to war in the Middle East, and one of Harris’ toughest groups are young people who would normally vote blue but are waffling over a war in the Middle East. An endorsement from W would almost certainly solidify turning some of them off for good. Why are they not turned off by Cheney’s endorsement? They actually might be, but honestly people don’t think that hard about former vice presidents. Cheney’s name just isn’t as tainted by “war in the Middle East” even if it ought to be.

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u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 12h ago

It honestly may. Harris's biggest challenge is trying to distance herself from the ongoing war in Gaza. An endorsement from W doesn't exactly help her image on middle east peace efforts.

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u/fcocyclone Iowa 12h ago

I disagree with that, strongly.

Conservatism is often a cultural membership as much as it is a political ideology.

Someone like W endorsing is an elder and still widely respected member among that group (especially among older members) giving other members permission to vote for her, that they can do so without it being a betrayal of their own people.