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?

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  1. Profile Photo Member
    @
    Christie’s down, seems the press got their marching orders about who ‘they’ want to talk about now. Both sides. The Left speculates and our media responds and soon everyone knows it true, right? They’re just reporting the news, right? But whose news?

    http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/01/15/RAND-PAC-Director-Paul-s-Fundraising-Strength-Testament-to-Grassroots-Support

    • #91
  2. Profile Photo Inactive
    @Ontos

    NO!

    • #92
  3. Profile Photo Member
    @FrankSoto

    Peter, 

    I have many specifics complaints about Jeb, such as his preferred immigration policy.  However my dislike of him as our nominee comes down to something simpler.

    Every time I have seen him speaking to an audience in recent years, he is not attempting to persuade the country that the conservative positions are the ones that are needed, the way Reagan did.  Instead he is lecturing the right about how we need to change.

    We need a persuader.  Pretty badly.  And Jeb is talking to the wrong audience.

    • #93
  4. Profile Photo Inactive
    @HeartofAmerica
    genferei:

    We know how the game works: when the Dems have one part of one branch of government, their agenda rules; when the GOP controls every branch, they are allowed to compromise.

    Perfectly stated.

    • #94
  5. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    Peter Robinson …What gives?  Is it his big brother who’s the problem? Or Jeb himself?  And if the latter, how come?

    He’s also heavily pushing Core Curriculum, which is such a good idea that this grassroots state driven initiative is now growing federal incentives and mandates and policies. 

    At his root, Jeb trusts Washington and distrusts the small government reformers. 

    And no, I don’t trust him on amnesty. 

    And the whole dynastic thing is very troubling. Don’t underestimate that and the effect it can have both domestically and in foreign relations. A fresh face does not have three Bush terms to answer for.

    • #95
  6. Profile Photo Inactive
    @HeartofAmerica

    Peter,

    Can you tell from the hand-wringing, fist-shaking response here to a proposed Jeb run that our Ricochetti are a hard group to please and we are a conservative, mostly GOP-voting group at that. 

    If you are getting this much flack over Jeb, imagine what the general populace will throw back at the mere thought of another Bush presidential candidate. It won’t be pretty and he’ll run off bruised and battered. If he wants back in the WH, he needs to come quietly in through the back door slightly unnoticed (aka cabinet position).

    • #96
  7. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus
    Florida budget grew by 27% during Bush’s terms

    In June 2006, the state had 43.6% more spending than when Bush took office and 46.5% more personal income. The state’s total budget grew by more than 27% in constant dollars between 1999 when Bush took office and 2005. Ironically, this performance disappointed the governor’s small government constituency and led some to call him a “big-government Republican.” At the end of his term in 2006, the conservative Cato Institute criticized him for having overseen “explosive growth” and gave him a grade of “D” for controlling spending.

    The Bush tax strategies facilitated his “starve the beast” spending policy and gave him an opportunity to make the kinds of choices in funding state government that he desired.

    Source: Aggressive Conservatism in Florida, by Robert Crew, p.106 , Dec 11, 2009

    From http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Jeb_Bush_Budget_+_Economy.htm

    • #97
  8. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    (cont.)

    Supports constitutional balanced budget amendment

    Q: Would you support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?

    A: Yes

    Q: Do you support providing immunity from civil liability to persons who are participating in the process of government?

    A: No.

    Source: 1998 Florida Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test , Nov 1, 1998

    • #98
  9. Profile Photo Inactive
    @BrentB67

    Peter, Here is the message you can carry back from this thread:

     We trusted Republicans in the first decade and they let us down. We are not in a hurry to be fooled twice.

    • #99
  10. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    (cont.)

    Auto bailout was government intervening; bank bailout was ok

    Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was invited to speak to the House Budget Committee by the committee’s chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., author of a federal budget despised by Democrats in part for its proposed changes to the Medicare program for seniors. Bush’s remarks focused on removing barriers to free enterprise, but throughout the hearing, he was free with his opinions on all sorts of other policy matters.

    Bush said that until the hearing, he hadn’t been asked his opinion on the automotive bailout or the bank bailouts. He told the committee he didn’t support the auto bailout–what he describes as “a form of capitalism where the government intervenes in a very muscular kind of way.” The positions puts him in line with Romney. Bush did say, however, say that he thought some aspects of the bank bailout were necessary. Bush worked as a consultant for Lehman Brothers before its collapse, and currently serves as a senior adviser to Barclays Capital.

    Source: Tampa Bay Times, “Jeb Bush cools VP chatter” , Jun 1, 2012

    • #100
  11. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    (cont.)

    $310M in stimulus money to start Scripps biotech facility

    Jeb suggested “economic stimulus” money in 2003. Jeb thought big: $310 million. Some in the legislature suggested that such an amount going to a single location was excessive, that the money was to benefit all Floridians, and should therefore have been allocated to various “economic development” projects around the state. But in the grand scheme, Jeb was probably correct that there was more real benefit to spending it all on a single big project, with potentially huge rewards, than on dozens of smaller enterprises.

    There was also a more general criticism of giving the money to an already successful entity like Scripps. The goal was not just the 500 jobs Scripps itself would create, but several thousand more generated by bio-tech firms that would want to locate in a science village Scripps would anchor.

    In October 2003, he proclaimed: “Scripps is the brand name for biomedical research, and its decision to build a sister research facility in Florida is a seminal moment in our state’s history.”

    Source: America’s Next Bush, by S.V. Date, p.142-143 , Feb 15, 2007

    • #101
  12. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    (cont.)

    This one is special, note the author:

    OpEd: Profited on Enron while FL lost $300M

    How about Jeb Bush, the President’s kid brother who invested in Enron before he became Florida governor and turned a profit on his personal $91,000 investment? Under his leadership as governor, the state’s pension fund lost more than $300 million on Enron stock–that was the most any public pension fund in the country lost on Enron stock, and Florida, under Jeb, had to work at it. Even after the SEC had already announced in 2001 that Enron was under investigation, Florida–incredibly–kept investing in Enron.

    Jeb was in effect the head of the 3-person state Board of Administration trustees who oversaw the pension fund and appointed its members. That made it Jeb’s responsibility to protect that pension money, but he had other priorities.

    Source: What A Party!, by Terry McAuliffe, p.316 , Jan 23, 2007

    • #102
  13. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    (cont.)

    Repeal the mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists

    House Bill 1911 includes repeal of the mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists over the age of 21. I signed the bill [because] I believe government oversteps its legitimate role when it excessively interferes with personal freedom. That interference includes regulating an adult’s decisions about his or her well-being if such decisions do not endanger the life or safety of others. Reasonable adults should be trusted to make reasonable decisions. For example, we have no laws requiring an individual to exercise, to eat a healthy diet, to get regular check-ups, or to avoid excess exposure to the sun – even though failure to comply with these habits reflects known health risks, and potential public health costs. Of course, we could significantly reduce deaths, injuries or health risks in Florida through a mandate that all individuals exercise, wear sunscreen, stop smoking, and learn how to swim, yet we impose no such requirements.Source: Approval notification on House Bill 1911 , Jun 1, 2000

    • #103
  14. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    (cont.)

    Fight corporate welfare: snouts out of public trough

    Responsibility and self-government [also apply to] programs that are considered by many to be corporate welfare. Limited government does not mean limited for only one portion of society, one economic class. We cannot ask government to do less for the many while doing more for the few. Limited government is about the fair distribution of limited resources, meaning that as we criticize social spending for being no solution to our social problems, we should also criticize unnecessary corporate entitlements as no cure for our competitiveness problems. Creating barriers to competition and sanctuaries for profit is no answer. Many industries realize that they profit from a bigger, more involved government. Yet a return to limited self-government would not be complete without pushing these corporate snouts out of the public trough. Limiting the role of government must be a process that is rational, equitable, and principled.Source: Profiles in Character, by Jeb Bush, p.172-173 , Nov 1, 1995

    • #104
  15. Profile Photo Member
    @ScottR
    Sisyphus

     

    In June 2006, the state had 43.6% more spending than when Bush took office and 46.5% more personal income.

    Unless I’m reading this wrong, that means he reduced the state budget measurably relative to the state economy, in a purple state. Not bad — not great by Cato’s dreams, but not bad.

    If our next president can do that with the federal gov’t, we’d be on the path out of our present fix.

    • #105
  16. Profile Photo Inactive
    @BarbaraKidder
    Frank Soto: Peter, 

    I have many specifics complaints about Jeb, such as his preferred immigration policy.  However my dislike of him as our nominee comes down to something simpler.

    Every time I have seen him speaking to an audience in recent years, he is not attempting to persuade the country that the conservative positions are the ones that are needed, the way Reagan did.  Instead he his lecturing the right about how we need to change.

    We need a persuader.  Pretty badly.  And Jeb is talking to the wrong audience. · 26 minutes ago

    Edited 26 minutes ago

    You are so right!

    Until I read your comment, I could not have pinpointed the main reason for my distaste of JB as a potential candidate for President of these United States;  you identified it for me.

    • #106
  17. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    (cont.)

    Restrict Eminent Domain; most severe of all govt powers

    The power of government to take property is perhaps the most severe of all governmental powers. State government must be frugal in the exercise of this power, and conscientious when it is expanded.

    In this particular bill, eminent domain authority is expanded to benefit the North Broward Hospital District. This is undoubtedly a worthwhile and needed project, [and] the hospital has begun negotiations with local property owners to purchase their properties.

    My objection to this well-intended bill, however, is that the hospital has begun this process [under the old rules, and] to change these rules [in the middle of the process] would not be in the spirit of fair play.

    Additionally, this bill would set a dangerous precedent for one-time expansions of eminent domain authority. I believe this is a poor basis for creating new statutes. If the expansion of quick-take authority is an issue that needs addressing, the Legislature should do so as a policy debate for statewide application.

    Source: Approval notification on Senate Bill 1230 , Jun 7, 2000

    [End of terrible torrent of spam.]

    • #107
  18. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus
    Scott Reusser

    Sisyphus

     

    In June 2006, the state had 43.6% more spending than when Bush took office and 46.5% more personal income.

    Unless I’m reading this wrong, that means he reduced the state budget measurably relative to the state economy, in a purple state. Not bad — not great by Cato’s dreams, but not bad.

    If our next president can do that with the federal gov’t, we’d be on the path out of our present fix. · 4 minutes ago

    Yes. I went for data rather than analysis, although I gleaned maybe 10% of what they had on him, sticking to the hot issues. Overall, if his name was Jones or Smith, I would be interested in seeing more. Could the last Bush redeem the first two?

    But the other thing about the source is a “mainstream” view. They may be trying disproportionately to saddle him with ideas and statements we would applaud in order to discredit him with other constituencies. Still, it provides a baseline to data drill from and analyze against.

    • #108
  19. Profile Photo Inactive
    @BarbaraKidder
    HeartofAmerica: Peter,

    Can you tell from the hand-wringing, fist-shaking response here to a proposed Jeb run that our Ricochetti are a hard group to please and we are a conservative, mostly GOP-voting group at that. 

    If you are getting this much flack over Jeb, imagine what the general populace will throw back at the mere thought of another Bush presidential candidate. It won’t be pretty and he’ll run off bruised and battered. If he wants back in the WH, he needs to come quietly in through the back door slightly unnoticed (aka cabinet position). · 22 minutes ago

    The best thing Jeb Bush could do, to increase the chances of a Repuplican winning in 2016, would be to announce that he is NOT a candidate for President and to give a strong, early endorsement to the ‘best’ Republican candidate and make a vigorous effort to campaign for that candidate.

    This would go a long way to uniting the Republican electorate and neutralizing the skepticism of conservative voters (as noted here on Ricochet) towards JB.

    • #109
  20. Profile Photo Member
    @Sisyphus

    Is Jeb the savior of cap and trade legislation? Politico:

    Under Obama, climate legislation has been trapped in a partisan logjam ever since the first-term passage of a House cap-and-trade bill and then the unsuccessful attempt to find 60 Senate votes on a companion measure. Some backers of tough climate policy say Jeb Bush could help bring Republicans back to a debate the party has not wanted to engage in because of Obama.

    What is the point of cap and trade schemes if we have no level of CO2 targeted? Why cripple industry rather than reviving promising efforts to control carbon biotically quashed in the 90’s by Clinton to avoid destabilizing the Kyoto negotiations?

    • #110
  21. Profile Photo Member
    @ZinMT

    If Jeb Bush gets the Republican nomination America is lost. 

    Not because he will lose and a Clinton or some other D will win and send us over the cliff. 

    No, America will be lost because it will cease being America in spirit.  We will have turned our backs on the founding, losing all credibility in the belief that a free people can govern themselves.  We will have proved that we are a helpless people that seeks dynastic leaders because we deserve such.

    HELL NO!

    • #111
  22. Profile Photo Member
    @Freeven
    Kozak: Seriously, this nepotism/ dynasty politics has to end.

    I share the concerns about Jeb’s statist tendencies, but all the hysteria about “dynasties” makes me wonder about you folks. We live in a republic, people. It’s not like he’d get the job through inheritance. You vote for him, or you don’t vote for him, based on his own merits. Sometimes I think a liberal wind sweeps through this place and gets people talking nonsense.

    And nepotism? Better look that one up.

    • #112
  23. Profile Photo Member
    @Freeven
    HeartofAmerica

    Marion Evans: We can save the country a lot of money and time by just automatically alternating eight years of a Clinton and eight years of a Bush for the next 50 years. · 2 hours ago

    I love it. While we are at it, let’s just drop this presidential pretense and just simply move to a monarchy too. · 4 hours ago

    *sigh*

    • #113
  24. Profile Photo Member
    @Kozak

    No no no. Look, he might be a great choice, but his brother and father were both president. If we have a Bush Clinton election I am sure to end up sucking on a tail pipe.

    Seriously, this nepotism/ dynasty politics has to end. When did we devolve into the late Roman Republic? When only select Patrician families, Scipioni, Julii , Junii, Cornelei, could aspire to the Consulship.No more Bushes, Kennedys, Coumos, Daleys, Clintons.The next step is Caesar if we don’t stop the madness.

    • #114
  25. Profile Photo Member
    @Freeven
    Frank Soto

    Freeven

    Frank Soto

    Freeven

    …all the hysteria about “dynasties” makes me wonder about you folks…

    You dismiss this complaint to easily.  Are we really to believe that 3 of the most qualified people to run the country in a 25 year span, were all from the same family? 

    Don’t be silly. By that logic Obama is qualified to run the country. People get who they vote for, and if that’s another Bush, so be it. I don’t have to like it, but all the ranting about dynasties just makes me chuckle. Plenty of serious objections to Jeb without going there. 

    So you are ok if the American people vote for a given family in perpetuity, and have no fears that this means that democracy is no longer functioning properly?

    Okay in the sense that the American people get who they vote for, sure. Okay in the sense that I’d be happy with individual choices? It would depend entirely on their policies, not who they happen to be related to. If Jeb were the next Reagan, I wouldn’t care a lick that he was the third Bush in a row.

    • #115
  26. Profile Photo Inactive
    @Leigh
    HeartofAmerica

    Marion Evans: We can save the country a lot of money and time by just automatically alternating eight years of a Clinton and eight years of a Bush for the next 50 years. · 2 hours ago

    I love it. While we are at it, let’s just drop this presidential pretense and just simply move to a monarchy too. · 8 hours ago

    I’ve never heard of a monarchy that worked quite that way.  Letting two opposing dynasties alternate regularly would be rather innovative.

    • #116
  27. Profile Photo Inactive
    @AlKennedy

    No!  Thanks to EJ for saying it best with humor and acuity.  This is a trial balloon with no helium in it.   Remember Peter, “Mother knows best!”

    • #117
  28. Profile Photo Inactive
    @BrianWatt
    Dave Carter: As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, “…played a central role in restoring America’s standing in the world and strengthening its global leadership.” Says who? Says the National Constitution Center, whose Chairman, Jeb Bush awarded her the Liberty Medal. The award was presented on the eve of the first anniversary of the Benghazi attack, in which Ms. Clinton played a central role in liberating four Americans from their mortal coil. Anyone who could personally hand that award to that woman, with a straight face and without the assistance of a barf bag is, in my opinion, unfit to be Commander in Chief. · January 15, 2014 at 4:42pm

    Thank you, Dave. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

    • #118
  29. Profile Photo Member
    @
    Peter Robinson: Holey moley!  Am looking over the comments on a plane with a veeery sloooow wifi connection, so I’ll keep this brief, but I honestly had no idea the response to Jeb would prove so overwhelmingly negative.

    … when I, like a lot of us here, am inclined to see the Tea Party as the salvation of the Republic.  

    While inclined toward the Tea Party, it seems you don’t really understand it.

    Here it is. Our only real power is our vote. By withholding favor and votes on Big Government/Crony Republicans even if we are told (by them and the Left) it’s the only way to win, they are forced to listen- and some of the good candidates actually get elected. 

    • #119
  30. Profile Photo Member
    @FrankSoto
    Freeven

    Kozak: Seriously, this nepotism/ dynasty politics has to end.

    I share the concerns about Jeb’s statist tendencies, but all the hysteria about “dynasties” makes me wonder about you folks. We live in a republic, people. It’s not like he’d get the job through inheritance. You vote for him, or you don’t vote for him, based on his own merits. Sometimes I think a liberal wind sweeps through this place and gets people talking nonsense.

    And nepotism? Better look that one up.

    You dismiss this complaint to easily.  Are we really to believe that 3 of the most qualified people to run the country in a 25 year span, were all from the same family? 

    • #120
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