Jeb Bush

Jon Huntsman Withdraws From Presidential Campaign Of 2016 Before It Begins; Sees The Handwriting On The Wall!

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This blogger and author has, over the past few years, made clear his admiration for former Utah Governor, and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, as an unusually good choice for the Republican Presidential nomination, both in 2012 and now in 2016.

Unlike every other potential nominee, Huntsman has a solid record in foreign policy, and along with Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, is one of the three potential Presidents fully experienced and qualified to deal with the world.

With his announced withdrawal from any consideration for the Presidency in 2016, now the only hope for a well experienced person to deal with foreign policy is either the Vice President or the former Secretary of State and First Lady!

The Republican Party has a dearth of decent, qualified candidates, with most of them far off to the Right, and many of them pure lunatic fringe!

So called Establishment Republicans have lost their own credibility, including 2012 Presidential nominee Mitt Romney; New Jersey Governor Chris Christie; and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, all of whom have major shortcomings.

The thought of an Ohio Republican, such as Governor John Kasich or Senator Rob Portman crosses one’s mind, but although Ohio is crucial, the odds of either man becoming the Presidential nominee are very low, and already it has been made clear that Portman, one of only four Republican Senators who has supported Gay Marriage, has no chance, as the GOP will NOT nominate a pro Gay Rights and Gay Marriage nominee, due to the deleterious effect of the Christian Right, which continues to promote hate and poisonous rhetoric on the subject.

So the fact that Huntsman realizes the odds are impossible for a decent, solid candidate like him to run, is a sign of the death knell of the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Dwight D. Eisenhower!

The Presidential Election of 2016 will be a landslide Electoral College victory for the Democrats!

The Future Of The Republican Party: Rob Portman Vs. Mike Huckabee As A Symbol!

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With Gay Marriage rapidly expanding, by refusal of the Supreme Court to stop it in eleven states, raising the total of states to 30 and counting, the Republican Party now faces its future!

With a majority of states and population now supporting or accepting gay marriage, and with a majority of people under 50, and even a majority of Catholics and even evangelical Christians in support, how long will the Republican Party hold out and be on the wrong side of history?

Do they wish to be recorded and remembered in the long run for their refusal to accept that marriage is NOT something to be voted on, to have a popular vote (which would not be lost in any case) on a basic human right, both in race in Loving V. Virginia and on sexual orientation now? Do they wish to be seen for what they are now, biased, prejudiced, hateful, narrow minded, and allowing religious beliefs of some people to dictate the lives of everyone else, when we have separation of church and state?

Conservatives were wrong on civil rights for African Americans, wrong on interracial marriage, wrong on women’s rights, wrong on immigration then and now, and wrong on gay rights and marriage, and for the Republicans to continue to follow their hateful, narrow minded views, will guarantee the demise of the party of Lincoln, TR, and Ike!

The Republican Party has a choice! It is time for MORE Republican Senators, Congressmen, and Governors and other office holders to come out in support of gay marriage NOW! So far, only four sitting US Senators and a few members of the House of Representatives have had the courage to speak up. The Senators are Liza Murkowski of Alaska, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rob Portman of Ohio.

The GOP will have a massive problem being elected to the House and Senate majorities in 2016, as it is, and the suddenly emerging “dark horse” status of Rob Portman, the only one of the above four Senators, who MIGHT consider running for President, and have a shot at being the nominee, present the Republican Party with a choice!

Either demand that any GOP nominee accept the inevitable, OR nominate Senator Portman as the most legitimate candidate for 2016, bypassing all the other extremist, lunatic, whacky candidates in the field, picking a moderate mainstream conservative as the future of the party!

Republicans, reject Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, and anyone else who refuses to accept gay marriage, and ONLY support a person such as Rob Portman, who has accepted it, and is from a key swing state, Ohio, which every winning President has won except in 1960 in modern times!

It is true that Portman supported gay rights and gay marriage due to his son coming out as gay, but he could have done what many so called “religious” people do, and repudiated his son, a most despicable act for any so called “religious” person to do, a mockery of the idea of religiosity!

If the GOP decides to follow the route of the above candidates who have made it clear that they will not accept gay marriage, the ideal candidate for them would be former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a once seriously mainstream conservative candidate for President in 2008, who has gone off the deep end, become a lunatic, a bigoted man with crazy views, since he joined Fox News Channel, and now mirrors the lunatic right wing talk show hosts on radio, as well as Fox News Channel!

Huckabee has made clear that he will NOT accept what is happening on gay marriage, and if the GOP continues to give in to Supreme Court actions or lack of action on gay marriage, that he will leave the Republican Party!

The best thing the GOP could do is repudiate Huckabee, who has already destroyed his name in history, and have him leave the Republican Party, and let the swinging door hit him in his rear end, or in fact, kick him out the door, declaring to him and others like him, “good riddance!”

The best thing the GOP could do is nominate Rob Portman, or others who finally accept gay rights and gay marriage, and look to a future of NOT accepting prejudice, bias, and the power of the Religious Right, which should be escorted to the door, and told to go to Hell, where they belong!

A great ticket right now would be Portman of Ohio for President and Susan Collins of Maine for Vice President, and that would also overcome the misogyny of the Republican Party!

George W. Bush Promotes Brother Jeb For President!

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We have had two Bush Presidencies, but now George W. Bush is promoting his younger brother, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to run for President in 2016!

Jeb Bush would be seen as part of the Establishment Republicans, not a popular group in the extreme right wing Tea Party Movement that has hijacked the traditions of the Republican Party historically.

Jeb is not nativist like many Republicans on immigration; after all, his own wife is Mexican-American!

Jeb has never gone as far to the right as many Republicans do today, and that makes him suspect among them.

And of course, there is exhaustion over the concept of a third Bush Presidency, after twelve years of Bushes in the past 26 years, with only Bill Clinton between them, and if Jeb became President, with only Barack Obama between the two sons of George H. W. Bush.

Jeb would be a mainstream, rational choice for President, but that is not the bent of the GOP of 2014.

And Jeb has NOT been running for public office since his second gubernatorial run in 2002, and will have been out of office for ten years, by the Presidential Election of 2016. And no one ever elected President has been out of public office as long as Jeb will have been, other than those who were generals, or businessman Wendell Willkie in 1940, with the one other exception being Abraham Lincoln, who had been out of public office for 12 years when elected to the Presidency in 2016!

Jeb would bring intelligence, knowledge, and competence to the White House, much more than his brother George W. had in 2000.

But he also represents the past, and is very likely to cater to the right wing, and most certainly, would NOT be a progressive oriented President, anymore than his brother or dad.

The odds of Jeb deciding to run should be seen as 40 percent, and the chances of being the nominee is more like 30 percent, and the odds of being elected would be no more than 45 percent.

The best guess is that Jeb will decide, ultimately, NOT to run, as his own wife seems reluctant, and that is an important factor in any candidate’s decision to run.

Imagine though a scenario of Jeb Bush vs. Hillary Clinton. Would that encourage voters to stay home or to come out in droves to vote? More likely, the latter!

Intrastate Rivalries For The Republican Presidential Nomination In 2016

Ronald 1 Comment

The potential exists for four intrastate rivalries for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.

First, we have Texas with Governor Rick Perry and Senator Ted Cruz.

Then, we have Florida with Senator Marco Rubio and former Governor Jeb Bush.

Also, there is the rivalry in Wisconsin between Congressman Paul Ryan and Governor Scott Walker.

Finally, in Ohio, we have Governor John Kasich and Senator Rob Portman as potential candidates.

Perry and Kasich have sought the Presidency before, although Kasich did so very minimally in 2000.

The best bet would be Marco Rubio and John Kasich among these competitors, as one assesses these eight political leaders at this time.

The Argument For A Midwestern Governor For The Republican Party In 2016 Presidential Race!

Ronald 2 Comments

There is a growing feeling in the Republican Party, and among prognosticators, that the pool of GOP candidates for President in 2016 is lacking in so many ways.

Chris Christie is in trouble due to the scandal over the George Washington Bridge, and his handling of Hurricane Sandy money.

Scott Walker is in trouble over charges that he was involved in corruption during the 2012 recall campaign in Wisconsin.

Ted Cruz has made enemies every time he opens his mouth, and his push to close down the government in 2013 backfired, and caused division within Republican ranks.

Rand Paul is leading a fight against the “Establishment”, and is unlikely to be able to win support to be the nominee, with his libertarian and isolationist views.

Marco Rubio made enemies with his immigration reform plan, and is seen as having floundered ever since.

Paul Ryan has come across as someone who has no understanding of what middle class people go through, and with little compassion for the poor, and even fellow Catholics are often critical of him.

Bobby Jindal has come across as insincere, uncaring about his own constituents, and has lost whatever luster he once had.

Rick Perry may have gained classy glasses to wear, but he is still a horrible candidate in so many ways.

Rick Santorum is trying to reform his image as well, but he is still a former Senator who lost his seat ten years ago.

Mike Huckabee is an also ran from the 2008 Presidential campaign, and has sounded more looney than ever each month as his Fox News Channel show pushed him much further right than he had been in 2008, when he actually sounded reasonable.

Jeb Bush looks much better by comparison with other Republicans, but he is still a Bush, and has supported immigration reform and the common core education curriculum, both unpopular with his party, and besides, he certainly represents the “Establishment” more than anyone.

Mitt Romney claims not to be interested at all in running again, but yet he is seen by many as the fallback choice, despite his losing the Presidency in 2012.

Jon Huntsman, arguably the best candidate possible, seems to have absolutely no chance to convince the Republican Party that his moderate, practical conservatism is the right path.

The more one thinks about it, it makes sense that the Republican Party should seriously consider finding a candidate, preferably a Governor, from the Midwest, which is the true battleground of the Presidential Election of 2016!

None of the above mentioned candidates for the Presidency are from the Midwest, except for Ryan and Walker, both from Wisconsin, but both have fatal flaws hard to overcome.

But all of the Midwest, except Illinois, is arguably a battleground, although only Indiana and Missouri went Republican in 2012, and only Missouri in 2008!

Ohio and Iowa are true battlegrounds, and Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are potentially up for grabs by either party.

So what seems to make sense is to give a hard look at two Midwestern Republican Governors, both of whom have served in Congress, and understand Washington, DC, but have also governed key states that are good models for preparation for the White House, at least in theory!

These two Governors are:

John Kasich of Ohio

Mike Pence of Indiana.

A lot more attention will be given to these two men as we get closer to the real beginning of the Presidential race at the end of 2014 and going into early 2015!

Jon Huntsman On Assault Weapons Ban: Not Acceptable To Democrats And Sane Independents!

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Former Utah Governor and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman has been applauded by this blogger over the past few years as the only reasonable, sane candidate that the Republican Party possesses, with possibly the exception of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

But the disappointment at his recent statement that he would veto an assault weapons ban of any kind is therefore disturbing and disillusioning, and makes it clear that while Huntsman is very talented and intelligent, still the best of the Republican Party, he is not acceptable to someone who believes in progressivism and the need for gun regulations to cut down the high level of violence in this country!

The reality is that Jon Huntsman has close to no chance to be the GOP nominee in any case, but it is clear that the Republican Party cannot offer anyone the road to a future where the average American can be safe and secure, as long as we have the lack of political courage to realize the absolute, dire need for some kind of assault weapons ban–not absolute necessarily, but within reasonable limits of some sort.

The goal is not to deny the Second Amendment, but also not to give license to mass murders of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School; or to mass murder in movie theaters, or in shopping malls, or colleges, or any public place–with no regulation of who is able to acquire firearms, particularly assault weapons that should only be used in war situations or by law enforcement authorities. As things stand, Democrats and sane Independents cannot support any GOP nominee for President!

Paul Ryan, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz–All Make Deadly Errors For Their Presidential Bids!

Ronald 9 Comments

The four Republicans most talked about for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016, and seen as Tea Party supported, all have made fatal errors that will destroy their Presidential bids!

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan has called for cutting veterans medical benefits, at a time when there is a desperate need to spend more and do more for our dedicated veterans.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, already seen by many as not too bright upstairs, has changed his mind on voting restrictions laws in the states, first saying they were wrong (a sign of progress), and then reversing himself under attack from the Tea Party lunatics in his party.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio has become a climate change denier, and indicated religion wins over science, just as it becomes clear that Florida, and particularly his home city of Miami, is to become the biggest victim of climate change, and there are, already, signs of just that.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz caused the government shutdown that cost the government billions of dollars for absolutely nothing gained.

These men are all self destructive, and at the same time, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has self destructed because of scandal, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is doubtful about running.

While all these so called “front runners” are showing their warts, then we have former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman showing himself to look better and better, but the right wing of his party is totally ignoring him, because he has brains, intelligence, vision, experience, and all the other attributes needed in a future President.

Such is the disaster that is the 2014 GOP!

Marco Rubio Hints At Running For President No Matter What!

Ronald 2 Comments

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio has hinted very broadly that he plans to run for President in 2016, come hell or high water!

He has indicated that if he runs, he will not consider dropping out and running instead for another six year term in the US Senate, that he will be in the race for the duration.

One can be sure, however, that there would be a move in the Florida legislature to allow him to run for President and the US Senate, similar to what was offered Lyndon B. Johnson in 1960 and Joe Lieberman in 2000 when they ran for Vice President and for another Senate term, so that seems like not a true statement that Rubio is making about his commitment to the Presidential race.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has tried to arrange that Kentucky would allow him to run for both President and re-election to the Senate, but so far has been unable to accomplish that goal.

Rubio is challenging the establishment in both parties, seemingly ignoring the fact that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush may yet run, and is favored by the “Establishment”, and attacking Hillary Clinton on her performance as Secretary of State, declaring he would give her an “F” in that role.

Rubio points out his ten years in the state legislature of Florida, including being House Speaker, and his four years in the Senate, and his age, reaching 43 later this month.

Rubio has the advantages of good looks, his youth, his Hispanic heritage as the son of Cuban refugees, and his looking less objectionable in his statements, actions, and persona than either Ted Cruz or Rand Paul, his major Tea Party rivals.

But he also comes across as not overly bright, and as much too extreme for the majority of the American people.

A worry, though, is that, were he to be the GOP nominee, representing the third largest state, and the ultimate swing state in a Presidential election therefore, and running against Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, the most likely Democratic nominees, he could argue his youth against their ages of 69 and 74 respectively, and that he represents the 21st century (the future), against the 20th century (the past).

For a 45 year old against a 69 or 74 year old opponent, those factors COULD be a major problem for the Democrats, and argues for a younger nominee, such as Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley!

Texas And Florida: Two States With Two Competing Presidential Candidates For The GOP!

Ronald 1 Comment

Texas is the second largest state in population, and Florida is soon to be the third largest state.

Texas is “red”, but seen as turning “purple” and eventually “blue” by 2020 or after.

Florida is “purple”, strongly Republican, but won by Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

Both are extremely important battlegrounds for the future of the Presidency, with a total population of about 45 million combined, and becoming more Hispanic and Latino annually.

And both have two competing Presidential candidates for the Republican nomination for President in 2016.

Texas has outgoing Governor Rick Perry and freshman Senator Ted Cruz, while Florida has former Governor Jeb Bush (whose brother and father were elected to public office from Texas), and freshman Senator Marco Rubio.

Cruz and Rubio are the new generation, while Perry is the longest serving Governor of Texas, and one of the longest serving Governors in American history, and Jeb Bush was last in public office eight years ago, and last competed in an election 12 years ago.

Bush and Perry both have ties to George W. Bush, one his brother, and the other his Lieutenant Governor, who succeeded him when he was elected President.

One would have to say that Bush and Rubio seem far more likely contenders than Perry and Cruz, with both ranked higher on lists by political prognosticators.

It seems clear that Rubio is unlikely to run if Bush does, while Perry and Cruz will both compete, neither one wishing to give in to the other.

As far as becoming President, it will be very difficult for any Republican, but the best betting money is on Jeb Bush if he announces, as his overall image, despite his last name, puts him near the top of the potential list of nominees for the White House!

Florida The Ultimate Battleground For 2016

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The state of Florida is the ultimate battleground for 2016, as it was in 2000, 2008, and 2012, and Hillary Clinton, at this point, the presumed Democratic nominee, is clearly ahead in polls, even over Florida Senator Marco Rubio and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the two leading Republicans in the state, other than Governor Rick Scott.

The argument for either Rubio or Bush is that they can win the Sunshine State in 2016, but that is far from certain.

Bush has not run for office in Florida since his second term election in 2002, and Rubio won his seat in a midterm election, and may face primary opposition, as well as strong Democratic challenge in the next Presidential election and or his Senate reelection campaign.

The fact that more than one million Floridians have signed up for ObamaCare, despite the opposition of Florida Governor Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio, and much of the Republican dominated state legislature, is an indication that Florida is up for grabs, and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, now a Democrat, is running ahead of Scott in the polls, and is a strong supporter of ObamaCare.

Ironically, if Crist wins the Governorship a second time, now as a Democrat, he could, in theory, challenge Rubio for his seat, a race that he lost to Rubio in 2010, but could run for without losing his Governorship if he lost, and would probably love to try to unseat Rubio and become a national figure in the Senate, delayed six years, but never too late!

Hillary and Bill Clinton are well regarded in Florida, and the Cuban community, particularly the younger generation, is no longer a guaranteed GOP vote, even as it might have been in 2010, when Rubio beat out Crist and Congressman Kendrick Meek.

So Florida, the third largest state any day now, and with 29 electoral votes, is very much a likely Democratic win, which would insure that Hillary Clinton, or arguably, any other Democratic nominee, victory in 2016 for the White House!