President Bush’s low approval ratings are pushing Republican presidential candidates to channel President Reagan in their campaigns with hopes of capitalizing on the 40th commander in chief’s legacy, Republican and Democratic analysts say.

The quest to harness popular support like that enjoyed by Reagan is hardly unique, but GOP contenders’ efforts likely will take on a renewed intensity tonight when the 2008 GOP hopefuls take the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library in Simi Valley, Calif., for their first debate.

Schnur pointed to the 1988 race, in which Reagan’s vice president, George H.W. Bush; his Senate leader, Bob Dole (R-Kan.); and his “ideological heir,” Jack Kemp, all “ran trying to claim one piece of [Reagan’s] legacy.”

“What’s striking is how many Republicans are running as agents of change,” Schnur said of the current field. “You don’t normally see that in an incumbent’s party.”
Democratic strategist Steve Murphy put it another way.

“Ronald Reagan is a Republican icon,” Murphy said. “George Bush is an embarrassment.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani have grabbed themes from the Bush presidency regarding the war on terror and the need to support the troops.

In some settings, depending on the audience, each has offered apparently unwavering support for Bush.

Most analysts agree that vocalizing such support puts candidates into a danger zone, especially if they have an eye on the general election, where Bush’s approval numbers have plummeted among independent voters in the last two years.

Another key issue, particularly in California and with former first lady Nancy Reagan sitting in the audience, is where the candidates stand on embryonic stem cell research.

“Essentially, tell your hostess why she’s wrong,” GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway said.

In the end, however, Conway and other analysts say time mellows opinions on presidents, who are almost always thought of with more fondness after their White House days are over.