“None of the candidates have instantly identified themselves as a leader for the Republican movement,” Mr. Hoffman said. “The Bush family were instantly identifiable as leaders.”
He is far from alone. Two and a half years after Mr. Bush left the White House, the formidable network of Republican donors he assembled has largely melted away. Fewer than one in five of Mr. Bush’s Rangers and Pioneers, the elite corps of “bundlers” who helped Mr. Bush smash fund-raising records in his two runs for the White House and remain the gold standard of Republican fund-raising, have contributed to any of the current Republican candidates, according to a New York Times analysis.
Their absence underscores the challenges facing the Republican Party in what could prove to be a protracted primary campaign followed by a hugely expensive general election matchup against an incumbent president."
G.O.P. Looks to Rebuild Bush Fund-Raising Machine
NYTimes.com:
