The confidence with which Bush is pursuing his strategy was evident last Wednesday in the Picasso-adorned Park Avenue home of private-equity titan Henry Kravis. It was Bush’s 62nd birthday, and he celebrated in Kravis’ 26-room penthouse with more than 40 of the richest people in New York. Among them were Bush’s cousin, George Walker IV, the chief executive of the investment management firm of Neuberger Berman, and real estate mogul Jerry Speyer, along with Ken Mehlman and Alex Navab of Kravis’ firm, KKR. The admission price: a minimum of $100,000, also the going rate for other Bush fundraisers. Guests took an elevator straight to the foyer and noshed on salmon and other hors d’oeuvres while listening to Bush talk about strategy for the upcoming campaign.Most interesting word in that paragraph: Walker.
MEANWHILE: Scott Walker is also eating non-sandwich food:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is scheduled to attend a private dinner Wednesday with longtime advocates of supply-side economics. The gathering, set for the upscale “21” Club in Manhattan... Economists Larry Kudlow, Arthur Laffer, and Stephen Moore will host Walker.... For Walker.... the dinner is not a fundraiser but a reintroduction and opportunity for him to impress influential conservatives and potential mega-donors....AND: Walker has a fund-raising strategy that might be designed to "to circumvent the 'invisible primary' — the period leading up to the actual primary contests in which elites influence the process through donations and endorsements." He's using a 527 organization instead of a PAC, the NYT explains:
By building up a reserve of cash from a relatively small number of deep-pocketed donors, [Julia Azari, an assistant professor of political science at Marquette University, wrote], he could cut the party out altogether or at least minimize its influence, stick to an insurgent’s message and appeal, and surpass the party’s preferred candidate — in this election, Jeb Bush.
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Bush has a catch-22. His only qualification is being a member of the same Bush Family that took us into the two Bush pushed Gulf Wars, the second of which was a bridge too far that nobody wants to redo under Bush III.
Other than that, JEB offers to bless a total surrender to a Mexican migrant invasion designed to fill the few jobs not already sent to China that are left over for the American middle class who did make it home alive from the Bush Family Wars.
The only shock and awe Bush III will generate among voters how to lose a landslide election.
Representative Gutierrez blew up the Bush campaign this week by threatening a violent backlash if the GOP tries to reverse amnesty.
No better description of who these people are will be provided.
He can run if he wants to. That's fine. But he does seem to be exuding a sense of entitlement, which is not very becoming. I hope he goes down in flames and wastes a lot of other people's money.
Gutierrez is a thug, this is a classic protection racket.
"he could cut the party out altogether"
A wise move, since the party has been over for a while now. Time to sober up.
Whoever the Big Money goes to in the Republican Party shows me who to distrust most.
Of course, in the end it doesn't matter. The corruption has been codified, embedded and legalized.
The idea of this country choosing to turn away from corruption is gone.
I am Laslo.
I can't see Walker doing well in that environment.
Jeb can raise money, no question about that, but he has a more fundamental question to answer. Why should a Republican voter vote for him in the primaries?
The fact that his brother looks better and better in retrospect with each passing day of the Obama administration does not make him a viable candidate.
If Walker was to win the Presidency he will be vilified, of course: even the most modest of achievements will be decried, and denied validity -- if they ever even make it past the endless lawsuits that will clog the courts, all in search of a Judge who will grant a freeze on any of Walker's actions. Racist, misogynist, Hitleresque etc etc etc.
The goal will be to wear the people out on the idea of a conservative President through constant relentless media grinding, so that the next Democratic President can come in to undo whatever managed to be done.
At least he can lob a few nukes.
I am Laslo.
"His only qualification is being a member of the same Bush Family . . ."
No: successful governor of a critical state.
"Why should a Republican voter vote for him in the primaries?"
Some may decide he is the most conservative candidate who is electable. Moderates will find him appealing. Some Catholics and evangelicals will trust him just enough. And unless Walker quickly solidifies support on the right, the right will be split.
So far, Bush is running like a pro. That's no guarantee for victory, of course, but Walker is an amateur by comparison. The amateur can certainly win but needs to raise his game quickly.
“Walker’s 527 organization will be able to raise unlimited funds without donor limits or disclosure to the Federal Election Committee — it is regulated instead by the I.R.S. The trade-off is that the organization cannot engage in any direct advocacy for Mr. Walker’s candidacy.”
In the future, Mr. Walker could set up a conventional PAC as well. But as Ms. Azari noted, “The difference is that having this other 527 allows him to (potentially) have a store of cash that doesn’t need to be disclosed and because of the absence of limits, can be drawn from just a few sources.”
Secret donors with untraceable funding is the way Walker likes to run his political campaigns.
(And before curious Drago in Vermont chimes in with her usual excuse: Yes it was just as slimy when Obama did it too)
John Howell on 890WLS-AM talked with Kudlow this morning about that dinner with Walker. He says the entire audience came away very impressed, and that Walker was pitch-perfect with his supply-side talking points and strategies.
I'm liking Scott Walker more and more and more. I might need to visit Wisconsin more often. Though our new Republican guv'na of Illinois is also making waves. Here's hoping Rauner is able to break the backs of the Dems in power in this corrupt, freezing shithole of a state.
"Here's hoping Rauner is able to break the backs of the Dems"
He's making the right noises but time will tell.
Walker uses an amazing focus on winning. How unfair that seems to Democrats and Socialists who think their winning should be automatic "for the poor people".
We need to be thankful Walker is a Reagan conservative and not another stupid Marxist wannabe tyrant.
How unfair that seems to Democrats and Socialists who think their winning should be automatic "for the poor people".
Considering that the Democrats and Socialists are bowing in their turn to the desire of "Greens" that poor people be graciously allowed to freeze to death in the dark, maybe it's past time for the poor people to rethink their voting patterns.
As a Florida resident who voted for Jeb twice (with no regrets) I am for Gov. Walker to be nominated as the Republican candidate for President. My wide circle of friends (doctors, lawyers, principals, roofers, plumbers) are turning to him also He is an everyman. It's quiet at this point here in North Florida but he is definitely up on our radar screens.
Here's hoping Walker can bring corruption, debt, and incompetence to Washington!
Haha. Garage, methinks Walker will have a tough act to follow in terms of corruption, dept, and utter, absolute, all-encompassing incompetence after King Obama.
bu bu what about Obama
NPR's On Point just did an hour on Walker. I missed most of it. Chris Cilizza ended the hour, they were talking about if Walker has legs, so to speak.
I'm baffled that Bush could be the GOP's "preferred candidate". That'd suggest that they are so far removed from reality as to defy belief. This country will never elect another Bush. Period. This country might be stupid enough to elect another Clinton.
Anything the NYT says about a GOP candidate is slanted and probably a lie.
"Here's hoping Walker can bring corruption, debt, and incompetence to Washington!"
Too late ! It is endemic in the present crowd.
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