George W. Bush used to win elections for Republicans. But with the exception of private fund-raising events, at which he still excels, most of the US president’s fellow Republicans are now pretending he does not exist.

With fewer than three weeks to go before Americans vote in midterm Congressional elections, Mr Bush’s approval ratings are even lower than those of his colleagues, whose defeat to the opposition Democrats next month is now widely assumed. Republicans have controlled the House of Representatives since 1994 and the Senate since 2002.