The Bush Formula

The trendiest phrase for republicans right now is "compassionate conservatism"--Texas Governor George W. Bush's term for the crossover message that fueled his landslide re-election. But what does it really mean? The way some pundits have been carrying on, you'd think the Republican Governor had shared a good, long hug with every last Democrat in the Lone Star State. Bush's victory, one of the few points of light in this dismal Republican moment, surely was remarkable--he took 69% of the vote, including 6 out of 10 women, 1 in 3 Democrats, and almost half of Hispanics--and it sealed his position as the...