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Jeb?
In a column in the Washington Post headlined “Don’t Forget About Jeb,” Jennifer Rubin:
It is still not clear whether Jeb has the yen to run. But sometimes events come together in just the right sequence. Over the last year Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for whom Jeb is a mentor, has hit the skids. This raises the real possibility that Rubio might not run in 2016 or if he does, could fade fast. Jeb would therefore not feel compelled to defer to his junior senator. Meanwhile, the government shutdown undermined the credentials of far-right senators, immigration reform is back on the radar and the party is searching for an affirmative agenda. Jeb may not have moved closer to the party, but the party is moving closer to him. And, most importantly, it may need a seasoned pro to take on the Clintons.
What about the Bush name? Well, Bush 43 has favorability ratings higher than the president. If Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee, the elite media can hardly whine about “dynasty” politics. “Bush” may not be the hardship it once was for Jeb. There is also something to be said for someone with experience who has been elected twice in a swing state, but who is still a fresh face for many voters.
Jen may be on to something here, no?
Published in General
No Jennifer Rubin please!
Sarah raises a classic town vs. country mindset, and with the ongoing disappearance of the family farm and the dissipation of rural populations she faces some visceral bigotries on the national stage.
Also, after making a career taking on the Murkowski machine in Alaska, her choice for Senator crashed and burned against a Murkowski and I haven’t seen where she is continuing the crusade as opposed to enjoying her celebrity. I don’t begrudge her taking the opportunities offered and enjoying life, she earned it in a thousand ways even if you just count the 24×7 media bigotry and vitriol.
I hope she continues to play a role, but running for President before she has finished putting Alaska back in order would be a hard play for me to support.
How about Allen West? Any major skeletons?
“Dynasty politics” might be less of an issue vs Hillary, but does Bush vs Clinton work for us? It’s a simple contrast: Bush = war and economic upheaval; Clinton = peace and economic prosperity.
(Obviously, the unfairness of this oversimplification is unrelated to its potential political effectiveness.)
I doubt Hillary wants to run on her husband’s record, but she’ll do whatever necessary — especially if Benghazi complicates her own record sufficiently.
I second the barfing.
I just made a poll on him. Let’s see how many here actually support the cronyist.
In case anyone didn’t get the gist of my last post, the short answer is “no.”
The long answer is, “HELL, NO!”
Really? I have a feeling that “far-right senators” feel well and truly vindicated by what followed the shutdown.
Boy, that does sum it up… ·7 minutes ago
Barf!
I am sure the big bankers, Wall St criminals, corrupt politicians and lobbyists are drooling at the prospect.
My wood chipper is dry and yearns for public work. Bring him on! ·1 hour ago
I can see the wood chipper party divided by an early schism. Head or feet first?
Mugwump – Always feet first.
He is a big government, nominal conservative and too liberal for my taste, but were he the nominee, of course I would vote for him in preference to any Democrat, and would not stay home, since that is equivalent to voting for the Democrat. Nor would I vote for a third party candidate, because I learned my lesson back in 1992 with Perot, which directly led to Clinton winning.
I can make my tee time now for Election Day 2016, ‘cuz I sure ain’t goin’ to the polls to pull a lever for Jeb.
If we’re going to go down the toilet, I’d rather a Democrat’s prints be on the body (mixed metaphor). At least with a Dem, we’d get it over with that much sooner. As they say, uncertainty is bad for markets.
I’m sure Jeb, like W and GHWB is salt of the earth and nice to puppies and kittens. But Democrat-lite is just putting off the inevitable.
Immigration reform is a deal-breaker issue for me. Not a week goes by that there’s not more news of job losses, shrinking labor participation, etc yet our rulers (and Jeb) are hellbent on importing millions more workers: death to the working class.
Better options in 2016, in no particular order:
For balance, worse options:
If President Walker were to appoint Jeb Bush Secretary of Education, I would be extraordinarily disappointed.
Sisyphus, Rick Perry was exactly himself last time around.
With all the Ricochet dissatisfaction (even vitriol) with Jeb on the one hand yet the consistent support for, say, Walker on the other, one would think the two would be polar opposites politically. But in fact there’s broad agreement between the two on most issues, as there is among Jindal, Daniels, Ryan, etc., even Perry.
I get that people want a fresh face and a new “feel” for the party, but policy-wise the differences between all these guys (with the possible exception of Paul on defense) are not so great as to justify all the emotion. imo.
Here we go again.
It’s insanity. Rubin is either a Democrat intent on sabotage or she’s insane.
Let’s go along with Jen-jen. I assume she thinks he can win. The Republican Party’s last three elected Presidents all from the same immediate family? From 1988 to 2020 (or 2024) In 32 years, the only presidential representatives of Republicanism are Papa and sons Bush. Let that sink in. What will America look like to the rest of the world? We are going to promote, um Democracy? Good luck with that.
Go ahead GOP, make Jeb the nominee. If you do, then you deserve to die. Jenifer Rubin has lost me completely. I think I prefer Rachel Madow at this point, to her. Please no more Bushes and no more Bush boosters.
If President Walker appoints a Secretary of Education I will be dissapointed. Ask the current Secretary to hang around, pass out severance checks and turn off the lights.
Please no….
Most residents of Florida know better than to be surprised. He was a great governor and is very missed around these here parts.
Rick Scott is no Jeb Bush.
I’m sure Jeb, like W and GHWB is salt of the earth and nice to puppies and kittens. But Democrat-lite is just putting off the inevitable.
Immigration reform is a deal-breaker issue for me. Not a week goes by that there’s not more news of job losses, shrinking labor participation, etc yet our rulers (and Jeb) are hellbent on importing millions more workers: death to the working class. ·31 minutes ago
Not entirely fair, but the slogan practically writes itself: “Let’s rely on the free market….. to import workers and export jobs”.
No, no, a thousand times no. I have respect for the Bush family but we’ve been there, done that…twice… and I’m sorry if Jeb was “supposed” to be the next family presidential candidate but it didn’t happen then and it won’t happen this time. He should listen to his Mother.
I’m not on anyone’s bandwagon this time around. I want to be courted because my vote is just too precious. I want to see a candidate that has their proverbial “stuff” together. No more of these people “testing” the waters to see if anyone is interested. You better be in it to win it and have the stuff it takes to do so.
And finally…they (their families, their funny uncles, the crazy aunts, their staff and their dog) darn well have better been vetted up the wazoo. No more surprises.
I love it. While we are at it, let’s just drop this presidential pretense and just simply move to a monarchy too.
Nope.
Thank you, Dave. As I’ve been reading this thread I’ve been trying to remember what McCainesque, kissing-up-to-the-left stunt he had pulled a few months back. This was it. “Restoring”? Restoring? This guy is not only not loyal to his party, but cannot even bring himself to be loyal to his own brother, on whose cabinet Hillary’s predecessor (Condoleezza Rice) served. We need a nominee who at the very least is willing to obey Reagan’s 11th commandment, for crying out loud.
To do this, when he’s already alienated the base with his moderate positions, is just digging the hole deeper. Why?
Also, about Jen Rubin, my first thought was that the excerpt reads like wishful thinking. You can just sense her s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g as she makes her assertions.
And finally…they (their families, their funny uncles, the crazy aunts, their staff and their dog) darn well have better been vetted up the wazoo. No more surprises.
But that might well be just the one possible plus to nominating a Bush — can there be any surprises left?
Time will tell.
Time will tell. ·in 2 minutes
Shouldn’t Texans be able to tell? He’s only been governor for forever.
Scott R. makes good point about Jeb’s positions that should make him more acceptable. Unfortunately republicans in general and the Bush family specifically have little credibility on the matters and specific issues Scott outlines.
I think whoever the nominee in 2016 they are going to have to run almost as vigorously against the Republican record of 2000-06 on domestic policy as they are going to have to run agains the Democrat(s). Frank Soto had a great post about this problem a month ago.
Like Gov. Romney and MA healthcare Jeb Bush is hard pressed to make the argument in 2016 that his brother was a big part of the problem in the first decade.
I do think Jeb Bush has earned the right to be on stage in the primaries, but he will get no support from me.
President Jeb Bush?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s