Would Bush be a better president than McCain?

As I watch the trainwreck that is McCain 2008 (See here and here as a primer), I can't help but think that the Republican intelligensia knew their business when Bush torpedoed McCain's 2000 campaign with the help of the GOP elite. I know the influence of the Bush family was tantamount but was there a larger concern for Republicans? Certainly, some of the issues raised during the South Carolina primary in which McCain's fate was determined were completely fabricated and over-the-top. Other issues at that time including McCain's sanity and temper appear to be gaining traction as McCain enters the homestretch.

Simply put, McCain has too many character flaws, independent of ideology, to be a reliable presidential candidate. We can start by questioning his judgement with the choice of Sarah Palin as VP. Or, we can discuss McCain inciting his conservative base during campaign rallies. On other fronts, McCain's submerged rage for Obama was clearly on display during the most recent presidential debate. And he's also been testy while gambling in Puerto Rico. Not to mention his chronic addiction to pathological lying and he's passive aggressive. There's more but I need to get to the point.

McCain couldn't be trusted to carry out the GOP gameplan as his maverickness could turn against the party at any given moment. Moreover, McCain's temper and judgement proved a liability while stabilizing the top of the ticket. And it's a problem today; he's trying carry out Rove's patented blueprint for White House victory but the displeasure on his face is obvious. Simply put, Bush has a better poker face.

I honestly thought McCain was a slam-dunk for the White House in 2000. Admittedly, my opinion was formed prior to the South Carolina primary, which preceeded the general election by some nine months. But many Democrats, including myself, were seriously considering voting for McCain over Gore as we were coming off of an exhausting eight years with Clinton. We may not have pulled the lever on election day but the idea was on the table.

The GOP saw otherwise as he didn't significantly stir the Republican base. I found it odd because there would have been significant cross-over Democrats as well as independents that would have given him an advantage. Most voters that register with a specific party generally stick to party lines so most, if not all, Republicans would have fallen in line to cleanse themselves of Clinton. Instead, Republican rolled the dice as evangelicals and core Republicans became the key to victory while McCain was derailed in favor of Bush. Watching McCain become unglued as Obama takes control of the election, I can't help but shake the notion that there was more to Bush's escalation in 2000 than simply being a Bush. McCain's behavior is unbecoming and unsettling for someone who might become the leader of the free world and it's always been there. And the GOP has known it for years.

I have no smoking guns or secret emails to prove my point. It's a hunch. Let's discuss.