6 Reasons Jeb Bush Will Make a Great President (please don't barf up your Christmas dinner)

[jmyrlefuller]

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Jeb-Bush-president-qualified-election/2014/12/23/id/614782/

by Sean Piccoli
December 24, 2014

When former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush took to Facebook last week to say he will "actively explore" a White House run in 2016, pundits immediately declared him a contender, pointing to his solid résumé, good temperament, and an unmatched ability to mount a national fundraising and campaign apparatus.

So we know he has the makings of a candidate.

But what kind of 45th president would the son of 41 and the brother of 43 actually be? Here are six points in favor of putting another southern governor named Bush in the Oval Office.

1.   He was a popular governor: After letting a former half-term U.S. senator run the country for eight years, Americans may again be ready for someone who actually governed. Bush qualifies. As governor from 1999 to 2007 of one of America’s largest and diverse states, Florida, he presided over the nation's fourth largest economy.

2.   He's electable: Bush won, and was returned to office, in a politically dynamic state that has trended Republican in recent cycles but remains competitive for Democrats. Crossover appeal helps in Florida, a key swing state in Presidential elections, so Bush’s draw in the Sunshine State could be critical for GOP hopes to win in 2016. Obama won Florida in 2012, but Jeb most assuredly keeps Florida red. Bush already leads other likely 2016 GOP contenders in polls of Florida voters.

3. He's a conservative: However divided the GOP base looks during presidential primaries, Republican voters tend to ultimately close ranks around a candidate with a conservative record who can also appeal to independents and even some Democrats. Though Bush championed a pro-growth agenda of limited government and reducing taxes, he also led several environmental and education initiatives. He is pro-Second Amendment and pro-life.

4. He appeals to Latinos: Bush speaks fluent Spanish and will have the ear of a country with a growing Hispanic electorate. Connections to Hispanic culture run through Bush's personal and professional lives. Bush's wife, Columba, was born in Mexico and is of Mexican descent. The couple lives in Miami — so he's not a Beltway insider — and anyone who has served as Florida governor has addressed the concerns of Hispanics while also recognizing that he speaks for all residents.

5. He's done well out of office: Since returning to private life in 2007, Bush has maintained what the Tampa Bay Times once called a "high-impact low profile" through legal work, banking, fundraising for other GOP candidates, and public advocacy on key issues including education and immigration reform. He doesn't need the presidency, and by not projecting an air of clawing ambition or entitlement to the office, Bush looks more fit than some to occupy it.

6. He's a Bush, but not his brother: What some consider a tarnished political brand after the presidency of George W. Bush is arguably an asset in an era where name recognition matters. Though George W.’s star is rising again as Obama’s foreign policy leads America into new quagmires, Jeb Bush is unique, is focused on policy, and is a consensus builder.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Jeb Bush governed Florida as a Conservative Republican.

During his tenure as Governor, Jeb Bush reduced taxes by $19 billion, reduced the size of state government by 6.6% and vetoed $2 billion in new spending.

He is pro-life and pro Second Amendment.

He fought his own party on placing caps on non-economic damages stemming from medical lawsuits. and won by sticking to his guns and forcing the legislature back into sessions until they acquiesced.

He championed and signed Terri's Law, keeping Terri Schiavo on life support while the case worked his way through the courts.

The pro-life advocacy group "Choose Life" had petitioned Lawton Chiles for a specialty license tag, a petition denied by Chiles. Bush saw the application pass both Houses and signed into law in 1999.

Now, he's labeled a moderate by Conservatives.

I am reminded of Ronald Reagan's first term as Governor of California. Conservatives called the now icon of Conservatism a Moderate.

"When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything. "I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. And I agreed with FDR, who said in 1933: 'I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.”

"If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it. ~~ Ronald Reagan, in his autobiography, An American Life

Jeb Bush is no Moderate, but he won't satisfy Conservatives.

No one alive will satisfy Conservatives.

Even Ted Cruz will eventually fail to meet the purity standard of American conservatives. 

[Atomic Cow]

#2- The standard lie given about every "moderate" aka liberal Republican.  We heard it with Dole, McCain, and Romney and all of them lost.

#3- Flat out lie

#4- Of course, because he supports amnesty, which will mean Democrat Party rule for the next 100 years

#5- So what?

#6- That will be the #1 thing the Democrats use against him in the general election

[speekinout]

I am reminded of Ronald Reagan's first term as Governor of California. Conservatives called the now icon of Conservatism a Moderate.

Quote
"When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything. "I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. And I agreed with FDR, who said in 1933: 'I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.”

"If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it. ~~ Ronald Reagan, in his autobiography, An American Life

That's exactly why Reagan was so successful. And probably why it took him three tries to get elected. And the situation hasn't changed at all - there are many conservatives who would never vote for someone like him. I wish we could have another Reagan, but his ideas are way out of favor with the right. The right won't even give the GOP majority a chance to take office before they demand "all or nothing".

[truth_seeker]

Contemporary "true conservatives" would probably pass on Reagan, since he was a pragmatic, common sense deal maker, with a track record in high elective office.

[MACVSOG68]

In my opinion, Jeb Bush is a conservative and governed accordingly as reflected in an earlier post.  He has strong leadership skills, experience, and understanding of the issues.  Hopefully he's not going to sign any inane "pledges".  The one issue that seems to drive away the alleged "true conservatives" (whatever that means) is his promotion of comprehensive immigration reform. Those who don't understand what that encompasses refer to it as "amnesty".

There was no amnesty in the 2007 legislation, nor in the recent bill passed by the Senate.  There were penalties, requirements and selectivity.  Amnesty was what Jimmy Carter gave to hundreds of thousands of draft dodgers.

And in any case, no true conservative would threaten to go to a third party two years hence should certain candidates be nominated who might fail one or more points on their "true conservative" litmus test.   

[jmyrlefuller]

OK, here's my response.

1.   He was a popular governor: After letting a former half-term U.S. senator run the country for eight years, Americans may again be ready for someone who actually governed. Bush qualifies. As governor from 1999 to 2007 of one of America’s largest and diverse states, Florida, he presided over the nation's fourth largest economy.
But they re-elected that same half-term Senator. And Florida is not particularly "diverse" economically. It's driven by senior citizens with ample retirement money.

2.   He's electable: Bush won, and was returned to office, in a politically dynamic state that has trended Republican in recent cycles but remains competitive for Democrats. Crossover appeal helps in Florida, a key swing state in Presidential elections, so Bush’s draw in the Sunshine State could be critical for GOP hopes to win in 2016. Obama won Florida in 2012, but Jeb most assuredly keeps Florida red. Bush already leads other likely 2016 GOP contenders in polls of Florida voters.
He last sought election in 2002, when his brother was still very popular. The electorate has changed in a massive way and there's no guarantee that Floridians will vote for Bush again.

3. He's a conservative: However divided the GOP base looks during presidential primaries, Republican voters tend to ultimately close ranks around a candidate with a conservative record who can also appeal to independents and even some Democrats. Though Bush championed a pro-growth agenda of limited government and reducing taxes, he also led several environmental and education initiatives. He is pro-Second Amendment and pro-life.
There are very few Republicans who AREN'T pro-2nd Amendment, so that's a non-issue. As for being pro-life, that's perhaps his biggest downfall. Bush's brand of “compassionate conservatism” is a relic of a bygone era, when Americans still cared about moral issues. He's the same kind of man who will inject the legislature into personal cases (see: Terri Schiavo)—a BIG no-no in modern society. As for “pro growth,” that's simply code for crony capitalism. The next President will need to take a fresh look at the problems we face today. Jeb Bush's solutions are the same ones that arguably helped lead to our problems.

4. He appeals to Latinos: Bush speaks fluent Spanish and will have the ear of a country with a growing Hispanic electorate. Connections to Hispanic culture run through Bush's personal and professional lives. Bush's wife, Columba, was born in Mexico and is of Mexican descent. The couple lives in Miami — so he's not a Beltway insider — and anyone who has served as Florida governor has addressed the concerns of Hispanics while also recognizing that he speaks for all residents.
Oh, he lives in Miami, so he has no connections to the Washington establishment! Oh, except that his father was the biggest establishment President in a long time and his brother was also President, bringing with them all the connections they have. News flash, Mr. Piccoli: this is almost 2015. We have the Internet. Location is no indication of connection. Also: the Florida Hispanic population (with Cuban exiles at its core) is not quite the same nature as the ones of the Southwest (where Mexicans and other Latin Americans dominate).

5. He's done well out of office: Since returning to private life in 2007, Bush has maintained what the Tampa Bay Times once called a "high-impact low profile" through legal work, banking, fundraising for other GOP candidates, and public advocacy on key issues including education and immigration reform. He doesn't need the presidency, and by not projecting an air of clawing ambition or entitlement to the office, Bush looks more fit than some to occupy it.
In other words, he's not going to be fully committed to the job. Just because he doesn't need the Presidency doesn't mean he doesn't want it any more badly, as this suck-up article obviously shows.

6. He's a Bush, but not his brother: What some consider a tarnished political brand after the presidency of George W. Bush is arguably an asset in an era where name recognition matters. Though George W.’s star is rising again as Obama’s foreign policy leads America into new quagmires, Jeb Bush is unique, is focused on policy, and is a consensus builder.
Talk about a vague response. This says nothing to differentiate himself from his brother or father.

[MACVSOG68]

1.  And now they seem quite tired of that half-term senator as reflected in the massive GOP win last month.  And like it or not, Jeb's ability to appeal to more than a narrow wing combined with a successful governorship almost certainly guarantees Florida, but gives him broad appeal in many other areas.

2.  If Floridians won't vote for Jeb, I can't think of another Republican they'd go for.  And yes, times have changed, which is why the GOP needs a candidate who can recognize and engage with those changes.  A narrowly focused candidate cannot or will not reflect that ability.

3.  Bush's pro-life stance doesn't put him at odds with most Americans.  It's not a major issue for Americans today, and Bush would likely not engage in a Terri Schiavo  type issue today.  Bush is still pro-business, and given the alternatives being pushed today by the left, it seems to be time to pull back on the regulatory overdrive that is killing business.  Again, I agree times are changing, and thus we may need a candidate with the ability to recognize those changes.

4.  If Bush cannot connect with Hispanics, who can?

5.  I don't follow that someone who has broad interests and doesn't need the job can't do the job?

6.  Jeb's brother had his issues, but he was orders of magnitude better than the current resident of 1600.  Still, Jeb isn't George, but his biggest problem will be his name.  If it were Smith or Jones, few would be talking about him as they are.  That's his cross to bear, and a measure of his ability as a candidate will be how he handles that.

[aligncare]

We don't need a dynasty, we want public servants: people who come into office, serve, then leave.

The framers never envisioned that there would be one family exhibiting this kind of naked ambition.

[andy58-in-nh]

... no true conservative would threaten to go to a third party two years hence should certain candidates be nominated who might fail one or more points on their "true conservative" litmus test.   

I'm not concerned about voting for an otherwise conservative Repubican candidate with whom I differ on one, two or three points.
 
I'm concerned about the prospect of the E$tabli$hment GOP nominating yet another Progressive squish who cannot be trusted on any matter of importance.

[flowers]

From the comment section.......

6 Reasons why he isn't the right guy for the time
He isn't conservative
He's on the wrong side of the immigration issue
He supports big government like his father and brother
He was popular a decade ago before the rise of the TEA Party and is now to the left of the entire conservative base
He is just like Bob Dole, John McCain, Mitt Romney all establishment Republicans who lost badly because they couldn't excite the base to vote and drag their friends and families to vote.
He's part of the power corrupted establishment GOP that is in serious decline losing dozens of seats to the TEA Party caucus in the last 5 years.
Based on voting record for the Continuing Resolution the TEA Party caucus now makes up 20 seats in the Senate and 67 seats in the House. The TEA Party caucus will only grow larger in 2016.

[flowers]

 
I'm concerned about the prospect of the E$tabli$hment GOP nominating yet another Progressive squish who cannot be trusted on any matter of importance.

  +1

[Luis Gonzalez]

We don't need a dynasty, we want public servants: people who come into office, serve, then leave.

The framers never envisioned that there would be one family exhibiting this kind of naked ambition.

John Adams.

John Quincy Adams.

Charles Francis Adams.

[flowers]

John Adams.

John Quincy Adams.

Charles Francis Adams.

You forgot one maybe the most important one of all....Samuel Adams, a great beer maker....... sorry couldn't resit.

[MACVSOG68]

We don't need a dynasty, we want public servants: people who come into office, serve, then leave.

The framers never envisioned that there would be one family exhibiting this kind of naked ambition.

I'm not sure the Founding Fathers didn't envision naked ambition.  After all, the history they knew was rife with that kind of eagerness.  Remember, it was King George whom they complained about bitterly in the Declaration of Independence, and who they thought about as they developed the balance in the Constitution.

[mountaineer]

Supporting the Second Amendment is nice, but Bush's perceived non-conservative positions on immigration and education (Common Core) will not help him.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Supporting the Second Amendment is nice, but Bush's perceived non-conservative positions on immigration and education (Common Core) will not help him.

[Luis Gonzalez]

6 Reasons why he isn't the right guy for the time
He isn't conservative
He's on the wrong side of the immigration issue
He supports big government like his father and brother
He was popular a decade ago before the rise of the TEA Party and is now to the left of the entire conservative base
He is just like Bob Dole, John McCain, Mitt Romney all establishment Republicans who lost badly because they couldn't excite the base to vote and drag their friends and families to vote.
He's part of the power corrupted establishment GOP that is in serious decline losing dozens of seats to the TEA Party caucus in the last 5 years.
Based on voting record for the Continuing Resolution the TEA Party caucus now makes up 20 seats in the Senate and 67 seats in the House. The TEA Party caucus will only grow larger in 2016.

"Dozens" of seats?

Hardly.

Based on voting record for the Continuing Resolution the TEA Party caucus now makes up 20 seats in the Senate and 67 seats in the House.

Do these people know that they are now part of the TEA Party?

[collins]

Okay, Louis, so how do you get around Jeb's support for amnesty and Common Core? There's no way around the "dynasty" thing, the Democrats and their allies in the MSM are chomping at the bit for the GOP to nominate Jeb.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Okay, Louis, so how do you get around Jeb's support for amnesty and Common Core? There's no way around the "dynasty" thing, the Democrats and their allies in the MSM are chomping at the bit for the GOP to nominate Jeb.

Did you understand the upside down triangle?

[collins]

I don't think so . . . triangulation? If so, how Dick Morris.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I don't think so . . . triangulation? If so, how Dick Morris.

To me that triangle represents the idea of determining what constitutes a true conservative in the eyes of true conservatives.

If we base our decisions on who is sufficiently conservative to support for office based on the whether we agree with that candidate on every issue, we diminish the field all the way down to one, with that "one" individual being different for every single person voting, since so very few people agree on everything.

Hell, the only person that I am in complete agreement with on every issue is me.

I pick the candidate that I will support based on the number of issues that I agree with that candidate on, and whether I agree with more of their stances than those that I disagree with.

If I were to pick candidates based on any disagreement with on any stance, eventually I would be the only candidate suitable for my vote, and I'm not running.

Here's my blog, and a more detailed explanation of that triangle.

Of True Scotsmen and Real Conservatives

[truth_seeker]

"Amnesty" is thrown around, but rarely defined.

Reagan's program gave people paths to citizenship, so should be called "amnesty."

Many today that favor immigration reform, do NOT advocate a guaranteed path to citizenship. They advocate only for a path to legal resident status.

True conservatives overlook Reagan's true amnesty, but hold it against proponents of more restrictive programs today.

They do so claiming he didn't really mean it, like he didn't really mean the abortion issues he signed as Governor, or the tax increase issues he signed as President.

They urge us to view him in his totality. Then tell us to not view people today in their totality.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Amnesty" is thrown around, but rarely defined.

Reagan's program gave people paths to citizenship, so should be called "amnesty."

Many today that favor immigration reform, do NOT advocate a guaranteed path to citizenship. They advocate only for a path to legal resident status.

True conservatives overlook Reagan's true amnesty, but hold it against proponents of more restrictive programs today.

They do so claiming he didn't really mean it, like he didn't really mean the abortion issues he signed as Governor, or the tax increase issues he signed as President.

They urge us to view him in his totality. Then tell us to not view people today in their totality.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Okay, Louis, so how do you get around Jeb's support for amnesty and Common Core? There's no way around the "dynasty" thing, the Democrats and their allies in the MSM are chomping at the bit for the GOP to nominate Jeb.

We have somewhere between 12 and 20+ million people in the US that are here illegally.

Opposing amnesty is fine, but I have not heard a single sensible plan for alleviating that problem. Sealing the border does not stop the people that are already here from being here.

I don't want the simple sloganeering that so many engage in "enforce existing laws" doesn't do it for me because it doesn't detail HOW we will uproot the rough equal top the total population of Florida and get them out of the country.

So, I'm trusting that someone like Jeb Bush will allow the issue to be resolved where it is supposed to be resolved, and wait for Congress to qact... which they won't, the proof of that being that they haven't acted under either a GOP majority of a Democratic majority. The problem is too complex, and anyone taking the initiativre to resolve it gets into trouble with one side or the other.

Common Core... Jeb's support (as President) for Common Core should be as meaningless to the issue as W's anti-abortion stance. He may make a few gestures to appease some (and enrage others) but if he abides by the powers (and restrictions) of his office, it should be inconsequential.

MEANWHILE... he's a tax cutter and a believer in reducing the size of government. He's pro life and pro Second Amendment.