George W. Bush unveiled two new portraits of his father this week.
One, a painting, is the latest in George W. Bush’s body of artistic work, which has included portraits of world leaders and animals. The second is his new biography of his father, “41.”
What the two works have in common is that they are less informative than evocative, casting a deliberately rosy glow over the two presidents Bush at a pivotal moment for the family.
A third Bush soon could look to make his mark on the presidency: Jeb, a former Florida governor and George W. Bush’s younger brother. For Jeb Bush, his last name could be at once his greatest advantage and his weightiest baggage should he make a bid for the White House.
Jeb Bush has admitted he is considering launching a presidential bid. While promoting his book, George W. Bush put the odds of Jeb running at 50-50.
Still, George W. Bush insists his brother’s future was not a factor in the publication date of his father’s biography, which is light on policy and heavy on the emotional connection and history between father and son.
“I wrote it when I did because I wanted dad to be alive,” George W. Bush said this week during a presentation at his father’s presidential library, according to a Washington Post report.
George H.W. Bush has been confined in recent years to a wheelchair. He is 90 years old.
But Jeb Bush no doubt would benefit from a timely, favorable retelling of his family history, which would be a major issue were he to seek the presidency.
Both Democrats and Republicans could find themselves voting to support or reject political dynasties in the coming presidential election. Republicans such as Rand Paul have already sought to tie Hillary Clinton to the worst of Bill Clinton’s presidency. Were Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush to face off in a general election, the discussion might be neutralized.
Voters also might sense that less time has passed since the end of George W. Bush’s second term than the end of Bill Clinton’s presidency, and Hillary would be vying to be the first female president. Thus, they may weigh the heirs to the two legacies unevenly.
Public approval of George W. Bush has rebounded since his presidency, but not at the level of his father or Bill Clinton. In June, Gallup polled the favorability among those former presidents still alive, and found that Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush each rated highly, in the low 60s. By contrast, favorability for George W. Bush was just 53 percent — about the same as Jimmy Carter.
The Bush family, at least, thinks it’s time for one more Bush in the White House.
“I can tell you that I can speak for 41 when I say this: [Jeb] ought to run for president,” George W. Bush said at his father’s library recently.
But he cautioned that his brother is “making a very personal decision.”
“We can pressure him all we want,” George W. Bush said. “It’s not going to matter. Because he knows the consequences of his decision.”
