| This man is remarkably upright after being kicked in the family jewels |
I hate to be crude, but how do you top this?
Some of Jeb Bush’s most steadfast allies think Saturday might be the end.
Donors, who poured millions into his campaign and super PAC, have stopped giving – one refusing a direct request to raise $1 million this week. Bush himself is hitting the phones, pleading for patience with his most influential supporters. And even some of his confidants are suddenly dejected after a dispiriting week capped off by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley rejecting Bush in favor of Marco Rubio.
“What a kick in the balls,” said one of Bush’s closest supporters and one of the more than a dozen major Bush donors interviewed for this story.
The Bush team had been banking on a strong week, believing their candidate’s first solid debate performance last weekend would move the numbers in South Carolina. They thought bringing in George W. Bush on Monday night would generate more enthusiasm and positive earned media than it did. They held out hope that the former president could convince Haley, who’d hedged on backing Rubio after his slip in New Hampshire, to support a fellow governor.This is not the end of Jeb Bush, not by a long shot. This just means he has to figure out how to tap a different donor network the next time around. It might be a bit leaner next time. I don't think he can count on being able to blow through $115 million dollars the next time he decides he maybe wants to get kicked in the balls.
I wonder if there's a magic number for Bush. Once his campaign funds get down to five or ten million dollars, does he fold up his tent and walk away with that money? How many of his overpriced minions are going to be stiffed on their bonuses and paychecks? Will this be like the McCain campaign, where they're left with boxes of phones full of sensitive E-mails at the end of the road that can provide lots of embarrassing details?
That would be cool.
