George Bush is out of office, but it's hard to tell from watching current gubernatorial contests. In Virginia, Democratic candidate R. Creigh Deeds has slammed incumbent Robert McDonnell for praising the effect of Bush tax cuts on the economy. In New Jersey, John Corzine is hoping to quash a bid by Christopher Christie by entreating voters not to hand the governorship to the "same people who failed so miserably in the White House."
The Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races are “real-world” laboratories to see if the Bush-oriented strategy that worked so well in 2008 will hold when Democrats control the federal executive and legislative branches, said Democratic strategist Tad Devine. If it's a success, “you better believe you'll see a lot of it in 2010," Devine said. "If we see Democrats lose, that could be the end of Bush bashing."
(More George W. Bush stories.)