Almost daily, whether it is South Carolina or Iowa or California, someone will engage in baseball talk with him or offer up an old Texas Rangers cap for him to autograph. Before running for governor in 1994, he was a proud managing general partner of the Texas Rangers' baseball club. Mark McKinnon , Mr. Bush's media consultant, says it may be broader than that. It's a cue. It says the politician is human.
People can relate to that.
And you can't get more baseball than Bush. Bush backers aren't missing the opportunity to associate their favorite for president with the national pastime. Supporters hand out Bush baseball cards similar to the bubble gum cards kids have always collected. The rest of the back of the card neatly sums up Mr. Bush's gubernatorial record and campaign pledges much like a real baseball card would offer facts on a Ted Williams or an Ernie Banks or, yes, a Willie Mays. Strengthen military, build missile defense to keep America at peace.