Bush pushes on after bruising debate

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

BOULDER, Colo.

He started as the front-runner, the man with a fundraising juggernaut, a dynastic last name and a conservative record governing a state crucial to Republicans’ presidential chances.

Now Jeb Bush is treading water, a notion confirmed by a poorly reviewed performance in Wednesday night’s debate at the University of Colorado. His telegraphed attack on the missed Senate votes of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a fellow Floridian and longtime ally, was easily dispatched in an exchange that could come to define Bush’s candidacy.

“You saw Marco Rubio rip his still-beating heart out of his chest and stomp on it,” Iowa radio host Steve Deace said in the post-debate “spin room,” where he was supporting Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

“If [Bush] stays in, it’s just because he’s a glutton for punishment and he wants to descend into self-parody.”

Bush soldiered on Thursday in a trip to New Hampshire, a state critical to his hopes.

“It’s not on life support,” Bush told reporters in Portsmouth, referring to his campaign. “We have the most money. We have the greatest organization. We’re doing fine.”

Bush’s campaign and an allied super PAC have combined to raise more than the rest of the GOP field by a wide margin, but the campaign also has spent aggressively. In the wake of a weaker-than-expected third quarter of fundraising, the Bush campaign cut staff and expenses.

Bush’s backers stressed his accomplishments in Florida and pointed out that he still has the money and profile to hang around for the long haul.

While outsiders Donald Trump and Ben Carson have sucked up energy and polling support, Bush’s team sees Rubio as its chief rival for the “establishment” corner of the electorate – in the hopes that the political newcomers fade once the primaries approach and voters get more serious.

Other contenders in that space are Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who lashed out Wednesday night at the novice candidates, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who challenged Bush during the debate on fantasy football, of all things.