Jeb! Bush is lighting a few fires on the campaign trail, so few that he's considering
courting disaster by bringing his big brother—the worst president in our nation's history—into South Carolina where apparently the last people who love George W. Bush reside.
But the question of how to use the candidate’s older brother is an agonizing one for the campaign. While dispatching George Bush to a state like South Carolina could shore up his brother’s standing with conservatives, and remind voters there of a political family they still admire, it could also underscore the impression that Jeb Bush is simply a legacy candidate at a time when voters are itching for change.
What is more, given the former president’s unpopularity among many in the broader electorate, joint appearances by the brothers could provide irresistible footage for Democratic attacks against Jeb Bush if he wins the Republican nomination. The continued instability in the Middle East, in particular, could remind voters of George Bush’s decision to invade Iraq and make joint images of the Bush brothers potent fodder for the opposition.
“It may ruin the race for him down the line, but it could win the race here,” said Katon Dawson, a former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
It's sort of remarkable that Jeb! and his team actually think they can sell him as anything but a legacy candidate. Apparently delusion runs in the family as that silver foot they all regularly put in their mouths. As for South Carolina, the older brother is still popular there: "a New York Times/CBS News survey in May found that, nationally, 71 percent of Republicans had a favorable view of the former president and only 10 percent said they viewed him unfavorably."
Jeb!, on the other hand, can't seem to break six percent in the state. Without a strong performance in at least one early state, it's hard to see Jeb! sticking around until next November, and getting that strong performance by relying upon his brother could very well tank him everywhere else.