Of all past presidents, George W. Bush has become the top target of both Democrats and Republicans in the presidential debates so far, according to an analysis of the clashes.
Bush’s name and policies have been invoked 30 times so far, 24 times by Republicans and six by Democrats, and almost always negatively.
While President Obama has become the focus of both sides, past presidents mentioned have also shadowed the debates, and some 14 have been mentioned 109 times.
And the new analysis from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs shows that most references have hit Bush, echoing the slap Donald Trump took at the 43rd president Friday when he noted that the 9/11 attacks occurred during his presidency.
Trump said during the first GOP debate, Trump said to Bush brother Jeb, “The last number of months of his brother’s administration were a catastrophe.”
The report, Eric J. Ostermeier, research associate at the Humphrey School’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance, found that former President Ronald Reagan’s name was the most referenced among past presidents, and generally favorably by Republicans. Reagan was mentioned 45 times, Ostermeier wrote on his Smart Politics blog, which includes many of the references.
Some 14 presidents have been named in the three debates:
— Ronald Reagan 45.
— George W. Bush 30.
— Bill Clinton 13.
— George H.W. Bush 6.
— John F. Kennedy 3.
— John Adams 3.
— Abraham Lincoln 2.
— Jimmy Carter 1.
— Gerald Ford 1.
— Andrew Jackson 1.
— John Q. Adams 1.
— James Madison 1.
— Thomas Jefferson 1.
— George Washington 1.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
