Can Jeb Bush save his failing campaign by being reasonable?
That’s the gambit he decided to try yesterday. The tragedy in Paris has pushed the other Republican candidates into a fight for the most nativist positions — Trump wants to shut down mosques, Christie wants to ban Syrian children, etc. And so far, Republican voters seem to be rewarding their extremism — a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted since the Paris attacks found 36% of voters have more confidence in Trump’s ability to do the job.
But Bush is taking a different tack. “The answer is not to ban all people from coming” to the U.S., Bush said yesterday. Embracing refugees “has been a noble tradition in our country for many years.”
So far this campaign season, bluster has prevailed over sanity. And so far, Bush’s moderation has only caused him to sink in the polls. Any reason to think that will change now? Probably not. But it’s still worth noting. Read Tory Newmyer ‘s analysis here.
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