As Liberal America has reported, former President George H.W. Bush (R) is planning to vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton. That is, he has rejected his party’s nominee and will vote for the opposition. That’s groundbreaking.
Past Presidents’ Endorsements
Typically, the Democratic nominee gets the support of former Democratic presidents and the Republican nominee gets the support of former Republican presidents. Philip Bump of the Washington Post created a handy chart to track all the endorsements of former presidents in elections since 1952.
There have been few exceptions. President Harry Truman did not participate in the 1972 election, the last one before his death. President Jimmy Carter, who endorsed fellow Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992, sat out the 1996 election. Ronald Reagan was too ill to make an endorsement in 1996 and 2000. And no Republican asked for Richard Nixon’s endorsement in any of the five presidential elections held between his resignation in 1974 and his death.
2016 Election
There are more former presidents alive today than at any time since 2000. Three are Democrats— Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. All of the former Democratic presidents are supporting Hillary Clinton.
So are the defeated candidates from this election, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley. And the Post reports that all former Democratic candidates from previous elections support Clinton as well.
Both Republican former presidents are members of the Bush family, George H.W. Bush (41) and George W. Bush (43). Neither has made an actual endorsement. Number 43 has said he will abstain; he will not make an endorsement. His wife, Laura, has come out in favor of Clinton, however.
Update on Bush 41’s Statement
According to CNN, Jim McGrath, a spokesperson for Bush 41, would neither confirm nor deny Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s tweet that Mr. Bush had told her he would vote for Hillary Clinton.
“The vote that President Bush will cast as a private citizen in some 50 days will be just that—a private vote cast in some 50 days. He is not commenting on the presidential race in the interim.”
And here’s one indication why Bush 41 might be supporting Hillary Clinton:
Featured Image: Screenshot via CNN.
