More and more, it seems that the supposed divide between George W. Bush and the 2008 Republican presidential contenders is purely rhetorical. While the hopefuls spare few words when griping about Bush in order to show their independence from an unpopular president, they fall in line with the White House on most of his policy choices.
Consider how eagerly the GOP front-runners backed his veto this week of an expanded health insurance program for children. And despite their sometimes harsh words for Bush’s handling of the Iraq War, none of the top Republican hopefuls have come forward with plans that would dramatically alter his course.
It is a hat trick that the eventual Republican nominee will likely try to perform — keep your distance from Bush’s dismal approval ratings by either ignoring him or questioning his competence, but embrace the decisions that remain popular with the party’s base voters.
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