Jeb Bush

Barack Obama’s And Sarah Palin’s Effect On The Republican Presidential Race

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Here it is mid February, less than a year to the Iowa caucuses, and not one Republican has announced for President.

Instead, Indiana Congressman Mike Pence has announced that he will NOT run, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has indicated that while he will not run in 2012, he is leaving the door open for 2016.

Why is no one announcing?

Well, it may be that many potential candidates see a race against President Obama as a difficult one, which indeed it will be. While the Republicans gained 63 seats in the House of Representatives in 2010, that is no indication that they have an edge in the Presidential race, and the fact that they control the House makes the President able to use them as a foil, and Obama is certain, eventually, to attack the Republicans on domestic policy, and to use foreign policy as a bulwark for his campaign for re-election. It should not be surprising that Jeb Bush prefers to wait to 2016 when there would be an open race without an incumbent, if one assumes Obama has the edge for 2012.

Remember that Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bill Clinton won re-election despite BOTH houses being in the hands of the opposition party in the midterm election!

But also, the uncertainty about Sarah Palin, whether she will run, also muddies up the race.

Palin is looking weak in the polls, and it is hard to imagine she will give up the money making opportunities she now has to run, with the knowledge her earnings would be badly hit while she is a candidate for the White House. But she has just hired a top campaign strategist, and feels a need to react to every slight or criticism of her, including recent ones by fellow Republicans Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum and John Thune. Since they are not leading candidates at this point, they have decided to gamble on light criticism or teasing of Palin, but others seen as more serious candidates, including Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, have, so far, avoided such criticism.

But Palin is the so called “800 pound elephant” in the room, and that, along with Obama’s growing strength and the feeling that he has an edge for re-election, is contributing to the fact that candidates so far are reluctant to stick their necks out and announce they are running.

Still, within the next three months, it will be necessary for candidates to announce themselves, in order to have a realistic chance to gain support and financial backing, so whether Obama looks as strong as he does now, or Palin stays out or comes into the race, the die is cast in the sense that announcement of candidacies can only be delayed so far without being seen as no longer serious contenders!

The Promotion Of Jeb Bush For The Presidency

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Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has made it crystal clear that he is NOT interested in running for President in 2012, or has he? 🙂

One gets the feeling that he has NOT given up completely on the idea, and when one considers much of the Republican field is seen clearly as losers, unable to win the country over Barack Obama in 2012, one can understand why Jeb’s name keeps on coming up. He could be looking for a so called “draft” like Dwight D. Eisenhower had in 1951 to convince him to run in 1952.

If one looks rationally at the multitude of possible candidates, only three seem at all realistic–Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, and Jeb Bush.

All three are competent and qualified, and are not connected to the loony side of the GOP, including the Tea Party Movement.

Of course, that makes it more difficult for them, as the Tea Party Movement, and the impact of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann and other loonies like them, may be enough to prevent any of the three above from being the GOP nominee.

But if the goal in politics is to WIN, then one of these three might just be the right guy for the moment!

The problem that Romney and Huntsman face, however, is their Mormon religion, which turns off evangelical Christians. But both have backgrounds and qualifications that make them prime possibilities for President, although Huntsman is not yet well known.

But Bush has the advantages of having been, overall, a popular governor of the fourth largest state, Florida; having an appeal to Hispanics and Latinos since he is seen as open minded on the immigration issue; and seen as smarter and brighter than his brother George by far!

Don’t forget that originally the Bush family plan was that Jeb would win the governorship of Florida in 1994 and then run for President in 2000, but Lawton Chiles ruined that, and Jeb had to wait until 1998, and by then brother George had already been Governor of Texas for four years, so George got the advantage to run for President.

The National Review, a conservative journal of great reputation, and its editor, Rich Lowry, make the case for Jeb in 2012, arguing that he has a better chance of uniting a party that has no strong leader yet; that for Jeb to wait to 2016 will make him seem “old news”, and that many newer candidates will come along by then, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio; that the rehabilitation of brother George has already begun, so being a Bush is not as negative as it was in 2008; and that waiting is always a mistake, and that one must be aggressive in going for an opportunity to run, as such examples as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama proves.

So with such a large and mostly weird, loony list of possible candidates, or those who simply have no national appeal, the likelihood that Jeb Bush will yet be heard from for 2012 grows!

The Presidential Game: No One Rules It Out, Including For 2016! :)

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There is something about the office of the Presidency that everyone imaginable seems to think he or she might run for President, if not in 2012, then in 2016! 🙂

Based on rumor, speculation, declared interest, likely candidacy, or even hallucination, the following are possible to be on the Presidential primary and caucus ballot in 2012 or 2016 (no special order): Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Haley Barbour, Newt Gingrich, John Thune, Rick Santorum, Mitch Daniels, Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump, Rudy Guiliani, John Bolton, Gary Johnson, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Jim DeMint, Rick Scott, Rand Paul, Mike Pence, George Pataki, Herman Cain.

Of course, a rational person might eliminate all but six or seven of these, but seeking the Presidency is like a disease, and therefore, we are in the “silly season” right now, while President Barack Obama deals with the tough domestic and foreign policy issues, and is increasing his lead against any opponent, because he has proved he has substance and is not the ridiculous candidates that most of the above are!

Which ones are not ridiculous? In the view of the author, they are as follows, in no particular order: Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty, John Thune, Mitch Daniels, Jon Huntsman, Jeb Bush. These seven are the best of the lot, with most of the rest totally preposterous!

We shall see whether the GOP is rational or delusional in the coming year up to the primaries and caucuses!

The Hispanic Leadership Network Inaugural Conference And The Republican Presidential Field: A No Show Except For Tim Pawlenty!

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The inaugural conference of the Hispanic Leadership Network is taking place in Coral Gables, Florida, designed to promote a connection between the Hispanic community nationally and the Republican Party.

However, only ONE of the generally accepted list of potential GOP nominees is appearing before the group–former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who claims no interest in running, is hosting the conference, and his brother, the former President George W. Bush, sent a message of support as well. Additionally, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Texas Senator John Cornyn are speaking before the group, as is former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman.

But the fact that Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour, Mike Pence, John Thune, Mitch Daniels, and Rick Santorum chose not to appear is a sign of the problem the GOP faces–that they are unwilling to face the reality of the growing power of the Hispanic and Latino community, and that is at their detriment in the electoral future!

The Silly Season: Rudy Guiliani Running For President Again?

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This has been a really crazy week, with suggestions that four new names should be added to the list of potential Republican nominees–Jon Huntsman, Jeb Bush, Michele Bachmann, and Donald Trump.

But now the ultimate crazy suggestion has cropped up–former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani! 🙁

What a preposterous idea, that the former Mayor, who has been out of office for a decade, flopped dramatically in the 2008 Presidential campaign by failing to win Florida, and has contributed absolutely nothing to politics except his big ego and ambition and more and more stupid statements, seems to think that magically he can utilize September 11 as his campaign issue after it has already failed once!

Trying to claim that his so called “moderate” views on gay rights and abortion give him a counterweight against other much more conservative candidates, is clear evidence that Guiliani lives on some other planet!

To believe that the Republican Party will nominate a person with his views shows he does not know or understand the impact of the Tea Party Movement, which already is a threat to moderates in the Senate and to Mitt Romney, arguably the front runner at the moment in the Republican race.

Romney is way ahead of everyone by far in the polling of the New Hampshire primary, and yet he has a lot to overcome to be the GOP nominee.

So Guiliani is living in “LA LA LAND” if he hallucinates enough to believe he will be the GOP nominee in 2012!

The suggestion of the author to Rudy is “Get a life”! 🙁

Just What Is Needed? Donald Trump For President? NO! :(

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Every day now it seems another public figure comes out and talks about possibly pursuing the Presidency in 2012.

Speculation developed in the past week about Jon Huntsman, Jeb Bush and Michele Bachmann. Now Donald Trump has started to talk as if the nation needs him to run!

Is that what we need? Do we need a real estate mogul, who is extremely cocky, arrogant, self serving, loves publicity, has his own show where he can fire people, narcissistic and has gone bankrupt with no apologies?

Donald Trump is a brilliant, intelligent person, certainly admirable in many ways, but what we do not need is another businessman running for President, as despite what people often say, a government is NOT a business, and businessmen do not have the proper training nor empathy to understand human needs, as all that matters to them is making profit and avoiding taxation.

Such a combination will NOT solve the problems of this country, and Donald Trump would be even more insufferable as President than he is right now! 🙁

Another Potential GOP Presidential Candidate: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann Of Minnesota, An Absurd Candidate! :(

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As the new year has begun, we are getting more hints or rumors of possible Republican Presidential candidates for the 2012 election.

First, we added former Utah Governor and present Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman to the list of possibilities, arguably one of the better people on the long list.

Jeb Bush’s name has come up again, although he denies any interest, at least for 2012, but leaving open the possibility for 2016, which would be when Barack Obama would no longer be running for the position. It would also be precisely eight years after his brother’s term ended, while George W. ran exactly eight years after his father’s term was completed. This actually makes a lot of sense, as bad memories of George W. would be gone by then, and Jeb might have an advantage at that time, if his party failed to win the White House in 2012.

But now, an absurd and scary candidate is hinting at her interest in running, and the author is not referring to Sarah Palin!

Rather, it is the extremely controversial Congresswoman from Minnesota, Michele Bachmann, who has made a name for herself by her extreme right wing ideas and loony statements in the four years she has served in the House of Representatives. Now she is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, by choice of Speaker of the House John Boehner, and has announced she will be going to Iowa to speak to various GOP groups in the first Presidential caucus state.

Compared to Sarah Palin, she actually has advantages, including a law degree, four years and counting of congressional experience, a lot of press coverage already (although much of it negative in tone), and a very attractive personal presence. She certainly makes Sarah Palin look less appealing by comparison, but still she is a very scary proposition. The thought that such an extremist, who has no problem with distortion and manipulation of the truth on anything, could actually be the Republican nominee for the Presidency of the United States, is enough to give one nightmares! 🙁

So much of the potential list for President on the Republican side is so horrific, that it certainly makes people such as Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, and even Jeb Bush look far better by comparison!

Jeb Bush: Is He Going To Run For President To Vindicate His Family?

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We are on the road to the Presidential nomination season, which will begin officially right after midterm elections are decided in November!

There are many Republicans considering a possible run for the nomination, but the most intriguing is former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who left office four years ago and refused to run for Governor or Senator in 2010, which some wondered if he might!

Jeb has been very quiet for a long time, but lately he has been agreeing to comment on events and issues, and he seems upset that his brother has been, in his mind, so mistreated by the Obama Administration, which in his way of thinking, still is blaming his brother for the troubles they face, rather than taking responsibility!

It seems to many that Jeb may feel a need to run to vindicate his brother and his dad, but it also seems to many that his name is his biggest barrier to a candidacy!

Is the country really ready, in the midst of the Great Recession, and still involved in both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that his brother began, to accept a THIRD Bush Presidency?

Would a Jeb Bush Presidency be that different than that of his father and brother? Would a lot of the same people who backed the two earlier Bushes rally around a Jeb candidacy?

Ultimately, would Jeb Bush offer a different path for the Republican party, many of whom have repudiated his brother as a phony conservative, who did great damage to the party, possibly long term?

No one questions that Jeb is very intelligent and highly motivated, much more than his brother, but is it too much to ask the party and the country to accept a dynasty of the Bushes, which could add years 13-20 to the history of the Bush Family in the White House?

The coming months will show us what will happen regarding this intriguing concept of another Bush Presidency!

Sensible Republicans Speak Up Against Arizona Immigration Law!

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Finally, we are starting to see “sensible” Republicans speak up against the Arizona Immigration law signed into law last week!

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio, and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham all have expressed concerns about the fairness and constitutionality of the action by the Arizona state government.

Bush, certainly a conservative, but like his brother, former President George W. Bush, an advocate of immigration reform on the national level, spoke up, despite much conservative and talk radio endorsement of the legislation.

Marco Rubio, certainly a favorite of the Tea Party Movement and very right wing in most of his views, but aware of the fact that people of his ethnicity are directly under attack around the nation, courageously criticized the law as unworkable and unjust, this coming about as some suggested that such legislation should be enacted in Florida!

Lindsey Graham, one of the few fair minded, common sense members of the Republican caucus in the Senate, and often attacked at home as not conservative enough, also made clear his problems with the legislation.

But John McCain, who had long stood for national immigration reform, has been disgraceful on this issue this year, and is so afraid of alienating the Republican base that he has truly lost his soul! He has become as demagogic as his fellow Arizona Senator, Jon Kyl!

Both senators should be condemned, along with Governor Jan Brewer, for giving in to hysteria, panic, and racism!

At the same time, plaudits are due Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Lindsey Graham! At least for once, they are correct in what they profess!

Jim DeMint, Jeb Bush And 2012

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Conservative Republican Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina stated in an interview that he was not interested in running for President in 2012, but thought former Florida Governor Jeb Bush was the best candidate available on the horizon.

The only problem, DeMint declared, is that his last name is Bush! 🙂

Actually, on this, DeMint is probably correct, as Jeb Bush can be seen by most conservatives as having fewer weaknesses or negatives than almost anyone being discussed as a possible GOP Presidential nominee.

Jeb would have probably been a better President than his brother, George W., but losing the Florida governorship to Lawton Chiles in 1994, while his brother defeated Governor Ann Richards in Texas, changed the course of history, certainly for the worst.

But it seems clear that, at this point, Jeb Bush has no desire to run in any case. However, the best advice is not to consider the issue closed, as anyone who follows politics knows anything can happen!