WASHINGTON (AP) — The unpopular President Bush is staying off the campaign trail in the race to succeed him. The president is raising money. But for voters in the swing states that count — Florida and Ohio, for example — Bush is the invisible incumbent. With a mere 26 percent approval rating, Bush was expected to keep a low profile in John McCain’s campaign. As it turns out, Bush has been a virtual no-show — except in Democratic television ads that regularly tie him to Republican candidates. Since Bush endorsed McCain in the Rose Garden on March 5, the two have appeared in public only three times for a total of 12 minutes. That’s in stark contrast to the scores of fundraisers and rallies Bush did before midterm elections in 2002 and 2006.—-Contact The Associated Press at [email protected]
Bush staying close to home at campaign’s end
November 1, 2008