Jeb Bush: It Won't Hurt That 'I'm Bilingual, Bicultural'

[mystery-ak]

http://www.newsmax.com/PrintTemplate.aspx/?nodeid=623703


Newsmax
Jeb Bush: It Won't Hurt That 'I'm Bilingual, Bicultural'
Monday, February 9, 2015 03:56 PM

By: Courtney Coren

During a conference call with former supporters and allies from his days as Florida's governor, presidential hopeful Jeb Bush said that his "bilingual, bicultural" background will be an asset to him should he run for president in 2016.

Bush was responding to a question from Frank Jimenez, a Florida attorney, who said that since the Florida Republican is a fluent Spanish speaker, he is in a unique position "to reach out to Hispanics," The Miami Herald is reporting.

In light of that fact, Jimenez then inquired "What are some of the best ways to bring the entire party along in" reaching out to Hispanics?

"My personal belief is that Republicans can win if we’re more hopeful and aspirational, which is why we’ve used the terminology Right to Rise," Bush said in response.

"We’ve lost some sense that it’s possible that the future can be brighter for people. This is not just focused on Hispanics but in general people do want to rise up," he explained.

"As conservatives, if we offer them a compelling alternative to the failed policies of the left, we’re going to do a lot better," the former Florida governor told his supporters.

"If we campaign amongst people that traditionally haven’t voted Republican, we’ll do a lot better. If we show respect for people, they’ll listen to us," he added.

"We have these emerging demographic groups that because our message was maybe too harsh or harsher voices were the ones that seemed to dominate, we’ve lost a little ground.

"But we can recover," he said. "The fact that I’m bilingual, bicultural can’t hurt."

During the conference call, Bush told supporters that he is planning to publish a website Tuesday, which will include emails from his tenure as Florida's governor, which he has used for a forthcoming book. He will also release the first chapter of that book on the same website.

He contends that the emails, which were previously published by a Democratic opposition research group and some news organizations will provide a glimpse into his "conservative record."

[aligncare]

Okay, Jeb. Reach out to Hispanics.

And in your best Spanish ask them why, when my parents struggled to learn English, why I must speak Spanish to them here, in America??

Identity politics?

That should have no place in government administration—not here in America.

Of course, in reality, we know that political correctness permeates politics, especially election campaigns.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Go away Jeb.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"I am perfectly of your mind, that measures of great Temper are necessary with the Germans: and am not without Apprehensions, that thro’ their indiscretion or Ours, or both, great disorders and inconveniences may one day arise among us; Those who come hither are generally of the most ignorant Stupid Sort of their own Nation, and as Ignorance is often attended with Credulity when Knavery would mislead it, and with Suspicion when Honesty would set it right; and as few of the English understand the German Language, and so cannot address them either from the Press or Pulpit, ’tis almost impossible to remove any prejudices they once entertain. Their own Clergy have very little influence over the people; who seem to take an uncommon pleasure in abusing and discharging the Minister on every trivial occasion. Not being used to Liberty, they know not how to make a modest use of it; and as Kolben says of the young Hottentots, that they are not esteemed men till they have shewn their manhood by beating their mothers, so these seem to think themselves not free, till they can feel their liberty in abusing and insulting their Teachers. Thus they are under no restraint of Ecclesiastical Government; They behave, however, submissively enough at present to the Civil Government which I wish they may continue to do: For I remember when they modestly declined intermeddling in our Elections, but now they come in droves, and carry all before them, except in one or two Counties; Few of their children in the Country learn English; they import many Books from Germany; and of the six printing houses in the Province, two are entirely German, two half German half English, and but two entirely English; They have one German News-paper, and one half German. Advertisements intended to be general are now printed in Dutch and English; the Signs in our Streets have inscriptions in both languages, and in some places only German: They begin of late to make all their Bonds and other legal Writings in their own Language, which (though I think it ought not to be) are allowed good in our Courts, where the German Business so encreases that there is continual need of Interpreters; and I suppose in a few years they will be also necessary in the Assembly, to tell one half of our Legislators what the other half say; In short unless the stream of their importation could be turned from this to other colonies, as you very judiciously propose, they will soon so out number us, that all the advantages we have will not in My Opinion be able to preserve our language, and even our Government will become precarious." - Benjamin Franklin, letter to Peter Collinson, May 09, 1753

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

[libertybele]

Ok Jeb can reach out to the Hispanics, but can he also reach out to the rest of America (in English please)? Quite frankly as an American I feel that the Hispanic population should assimilate to our culture and our language; not the other way around.  Secondly, I am of the firm belief that those here illegally have committed a crime and should be deported period with no chance of every becoming an American citizen.  Next his negative impact on our educational system is hurting our children.  Jeb Bush is WRONG for America and I will NOT vote for him!

[Millee]

Go away Jeb.

This...please....   

[Fishrrman]

Jeb's own wife came here under dubious conditions, perhaps illegally.

How else would you expect him to behave?

[Relic]

bi lingual, bi cultural, bi principled

[Fishrrman]

Relic wrote above (about Jeb):
[[ bi lingual, bi cultural, bi principled ]]

One more:
BiG loser!

[240B]

Another negative point that Jeb points out about himself.

I have had more than enough of 'bi-cultural' Presidents. We already have one who is absolutely obsessed with Muslims, Blacks, and Islamic culture. Now we are supposed to vote for a guy obsessed with Mexicans?

How about we elect a goddam "American" for a change! How about we elect someone obsessed with America for a change!

I guess my putting America ahead of other cultures, makes me a racists and a 'nativist' (whatever that is?). I guess loving your own country and your own culture over that of foreigners is unacceptable these days?

It is only a matter of time before it becomes criminal not to accept your guilt as a White patriotic American. It already is on most college campuses. The word 'citizen' is quickly losing any meaning at all. And Jeb, and the internationalists like him, are all for that.

[aligncare]

Another negative point that Jeb points out about himself.

I have had more than enough of 'bi-cultural' Presidents. We already have one who is absolutely obsessed with Muslims, Blacks, and Islamic culture. Now we are supposed to vote for a guy obsessed with Mexicans?

How about we elect a goddam "American" for a change! How about we elect someone obsessed with America for a change!

I guess my putting America ahead of other cultures, makes me a racists and a 'nativist' (whatever that is?). I guess loving your own country and your own culture over that of foreigners is unacceptable these days?

It is only a matter of time before it becomes criminal not to accept your guilt as a White patriotic American. It already is on most college campuses. The word 'citizen' is quickly losing any meaning at all. And Jeb, and the internationalists like him, are all for that.

Nice rant. I think you make good points. Too many folks think the American president is president of the world. I'd settle for president of America.

[Luis Gonzalez]

During a conference call with former supporters and allies from his days as Florida's governor, presidential hopeful Jeb Bush said that his "bilingual, bicultural" background will be an asset to him should he run for president in 2016.

What in the world is wrong with that statement from Bush?

This idea that people whom are in fact bicultural are not actually Americans is simply BS.

I am bicultural and that sure as Hell has zero impact on the fact that I am American, and that I am proud of being an American.

How are people who are in fact bicultural supposed to behave?

Are we to hide our heritage?

Should we be ashamed of it?

Should we keep it behind closed doors to placate the monocultarists in the country?

That's absurd.

The fact that Bush mentions that there is a facet of his personality that gives him some measure of common ground on more than one level with a significant portion of the voting population is somehow offensive?

Get a grip.

I'm an American of Cuban heritage.

I speak, read and write two languages.

I enjoy the perks of THREE cultures.

I don't hide my cultural roots, and I won't be ashamed of them, nor will I be made to feel that my biculturality makes me less of an American, and if anyone thinks that I am, that's their damned problem.

[aligncare]

What in the world is wrong with that statement from Bush?

This idea that people whom are in fact bicultural are not actually Americans is simply BS.

I am bicultural and that sure as Hell has zero impact on the fact that I am American, and that I am proud of being an American.

How are people who are in fact bicultural supposed to behave?

Are we to hide our heritage?

Should we be ashamed of it?

Should we keep it behind closed doors to placate the monocultarists in the country?

That's absurd.

The fact that Bush mentions that there is a facet of his personality that gives him some measure of common ground on more than one level with a significant portion of the voting population is somehow offensive?

Get a grip.

I'm an American of Cuban heritage.

I speak, read and write two languages.

I enjoy the perks of THREE cultures.

I don't hide my cultural roots, and I won't be ashamed of them, nor will I be made to feel that my biculturality makes me less of an American, and if anyone thinks that I am, that's their damned problem.

Trace back far enough and all of us are from someplace else, Luis.

The problem is that we happen to share an international border with Mexico. And border security seems to be an afterthought. Plus the folks that have been jumping that border for decades are being used as a political football by our politicians.

That's what's offensive. It's not that you or I are from the old country and proud of our heritage. Personally, as I try to see the good in all peoples of the world, I love my Mexico neighbor.

[Fishrrman]

240b wrote above:
[[ It is only a matter of time before it becomes criminal not to accept your guilt as a White patriotic American. It already is on most college campuses. The word 'citizen' is quickly losing any meaning at all. And Jeb, and the internationalists like him, are all for that. ]]

Hear, hear, hear!

Bears repeating so I repeated it.

Thanks for sayin' it right out loud!

I won't be voting for Jeb under ANY circumstances, EVER.

I will certainly vote Republican in 2016, but if he occupies the prominent spot on the ballot, it will remain empty on mine.

[Relic]

What in the world is wrong with that statement from Bush?

...

I don't hide my cultural roots, and I won't be ashamed of them, nor will I be made to feel that my biculturality makes me less of an American, and if anyone thinks that I am, that's their damned problem.

You're looking at the situation in a vacuum. Consider what has been and is going on. The assault on all things American begins with the culture. The left, (that is, popular culture), would have you believe any culture is superior, thus more desirable than American culture. As was pointed out, the toady in the White House seems to strongly dislike American culture, while promoting black urban culture, and muslim culture.

Any thinking person respects other cultures, except for the demostrably bad cultures, such as muslim culture. Yes, there are such things as inferior, or evil cultures. As another poster pointed out, the vast majority of us have linage to someplace else.

But, how about we elect an American president, who values American culture? I think it can work.

[truth_seeker]

What in the world can possibly be wrong or negative, about an American that can speak two or more languages?

I think it is fear by some fairly provincial Americans, that others will take something away from them, to which they feel singularly entitled.

America's West was first explored on land by both English and French speaking folks, who immediately became bilingual in order to communicate with the Native Americans. In turn some Native Americans learned English or French.

However by then, much of America's West was already in part, Spanish speaking. The tradition of the American cowboy is derived from the Spanish equivalent, Vaquero.

There is a lot of history, culture and tradition in the United States of America, and a significant amount is "other than" Anglo-Saxon English only in origin and nature.

Here is a webpage about Hispanic Americans that served in WWII. My father served in Okinawa under one such,  Maj. Gen. Pedro Del Valle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic_Americans_in_World_War_II

[Luis Gonzalez]

You're looking at the situation in a vacuum. Consider what has been and is going on. The assault on all things American begins with the culture. The left, (that is, popular culture), would have you believe any culture is superior, thus more desirable than American culture. As was pointed out, the toady in the White House seems to strongly dislike American culture, while promoting black urban culture, and muslim culture.

Any thinking person respects other cultures, except for the demostrably bad cultures, such as muslim culture. Yes, there are such things as inferior, or evil cultures. As another poster pointed out, the vast majority of us have linage to someplace else.

But, how about we elect an American president, who values American culture? I think it can work.

From this side, it is you who is looking at the situation from a vacuum. Using 'you" in the larger sense of course and not specifically directed at you.

"You" find the public exhibition or even the existence of a culture that's not strictly the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant mainstream culture of the nation as an affront to that White-Anglo Saxon Protestant mainstream culture.

Hell, all that Jeb pointed out was that the fact that some people of a non White Anglo Saxon Protestant culture may be able to identify with him wouldn't hurt him politically (which is absolutely true!), and look at the rants that the statement evoked!

I have had people walk up to me in the street and tell me "you're in America now, speak English", to which I have replied in a very vulgar manner, in perfect English and leaving very little to be deciphered.

They were INSULTED that I was speaking a different language while sharing the same zip code with them.

Here's the non-vacuum version.

No wave of immigrants has ever failed to assimilate.

Not one.

They have all retained a cultural identity and things unique to their culture, but they have all assimilated.

But, how about we elect an American president, who values American culture? I think it can work.

How about an American President that values all the cultural roots of all Americans, and Americans as a whole?

Why would you think that one is exclusive of the other?

Look at what you wrote, and I know that you don' mean this, but what you actually said was "a President for me, but not for thee".

There's a far greater point here that's missed when that shadow of exclusion is cast, when a difference is drawn between "Americans" and bi-cultural Americans, as you just did, probably inadvertently.

Ronald Reagan understood the strength of inclusion coupled with vibrant and strong cultural roots.

I saw him deliver this speech live.

"It's a great pleasure for me to be with a group of Americans who have demonstrated how much can be accomplished when people are free. Many of you arrived in this country with little more than the shirts on your backs and a desire to improve your well-being and that of your family. You came with a willingness to work and, yes, a consuming passion for liberty. There's a name for this kind of spirit. It's called the American spirit, and there's no limit to what it can do.

But let me interrupt myself here and say something about that American spirit. We could also say it's a Western Hemisphere spirit, because one of the great, unique things about this Western Hemisphere is that in all of our countries—yours, from the islands of the Caribbean to South, to Central America, and to North America, from the South Pole to the North Pole, with all of our countries, we can cross the boundary line into another country, and we're still surrounded by Americans, because we are all Americans here in the Western Hemisphere."

[Carling]

I speak both Spanish and English at work, depending on which part of Portland I'm in that day.

It helps my business because it expands my customer base.  I guess it also means I'm not American enough, to some, since I don't check the citizenship status of everyone I encounter during a typical day.  I do know plenty of Spanish-speaking people who are also American citizens.

[truth_seeker]

I have a cousin-in-law, and his father's family in California dates to the earliest 1800s, when California was a colony of Spain. He still has a Spanish surname, is very conservative, as well. Devout Catholic as a matter of fact.

He told me one day on my patio, how he votes Republican because it is what he believes, but he also said it pisses him off, when somebody Republican questions his claim to be a full fledged American.

His father, by the way, was a career Air Force veteran.

I think the people who claim to be conservatives and/or Republicans do their cause very great damage, when they suggest that individuals with Hispanic origins are less than" as in the case of my cousin-in-law.

Putting it another way, pushing potential voters away is STUPID.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I speak both Spanish and English at work, depending on which part of Portland I'm in that day.

It helps my business because it expands my customer base.  I guess it also means I'm not American enough, to some, since I don't check the citizenship status of everyone I encounter during a typical day.  I do know plenty of Spanish-speaking people who are also American citizens.

I recall posters at other right-wing sites putting up pictures of Jorge Boosh up simply because the man knew (and spoke) some Spanish.

Criticizing a world leader, if not THE world leader of his time (unlike what we have now) because he could speak more than one language was idiotic. Criticizing a President for being bilingual is nearly equal to demanding that our Presidents be LESS accomplished as proof of their national pride.

[massadvj]

And in your best Spanish ask them why, when my parents struggled to learn English, why I must speak Spanish to them here, in America??

Identity politics?

Senor Bush, por que, cuando mis padres tuvieron que aprender ingles, debo hablarles en espanol aqui en Estados Unidos?

Las politicas de identidad?

[Relic]

Look at what you wrote, and I know that you don' mean this, but what you actually said was "a President for me, but not for thee".

You're looking for things to be butt hurt over. That's fine, at this point it's still sort of a free country.

How about you look at it the way it was intended? You're American, I'm American, and anyone who is legally eligible to vote for a president is American. So, a president who is American, and promotes American culture is a president for us all. America is decidedly not a WASP country. And if you assume that American culture is a WASP culture, you are confused.

I do have a bias. Bi-cultural sounds too much like multiculturalism to me. And multiculturalism is the left's backdoor to destroying American culture. We could have some fun actually defining American culture, but to assume American culture excludes those who weren't born here, and aren't WASP is simply ignorant.

[DCPatriot]

I do have a bias. Bi-cultural sounds too much like multiculturalism to me. And multiculturalism is the left's backdoor to destroying American culture. We could have some fun actually defining American culture, but to assume American culture excludes those who weren't born here, and aren't WASP is simply ignorant.

There's nothing wrong with being "bi-cultural".  You will NOT go to hell.

I think all he means is that having two distinct cultures living harmoniously under one roof....gives him a leg up in being able to converse with them HONESTLY...straight in the eye.  And that he can be trusted to do what's right when it comes to enforcing immigration law(s).

....whatever the hell that means.     

[240B]

Luis you are overreacting and speaking like you are hyper-sensitive. You are speaking in over-the-top bombastic terms and are digging up and bringing in far fetched issues of race with have nothing to do with the topic.

A Latino saying they would love a Latino President is fine. A Black saying they want a Black President is fine. But, when a White American says they want an American President, with no mention of race btw, your freakin' head explodes.

There is no question that the Left treats illegals and what they call 'minorities' with preferential treatment. It is only natural for the American people to say 'enough!'. Actual American citizens are constantly being pushed to the back of the bus in favor of the Liberals preferred ethnicities. 

There is NO COUNTRY ON EARTH which allows people to freely cross their border unchecked for disease or criminal/terrorist background INCLUDING CUBA AND MEXICO, and then showers them with money, gifts, and benefits, that do not apply to citizens. That is insanity.

How is it that citizen students have to pay out-of-State tuition, and illegals pay in-State tuition. How does that make any kind of sense to anyone anywhere!?

And by the way, you are completely wrong. I have lived all over the world and speak several languages. I have been steeped in global culture all my life and am more or less comfortable in any country in which I find myself.

But America is my home. I am comfortable in America and resent having to feel like a foreigner in my own home, just like you have described about yourself. I think the best solution is for both of us to find a new home. You can go to a Latino country which will not treat you so badly by telling you to speak English and you will feel at home, and I can go to Australia, which is a real goal of mine, where I can feel at home.

And then America can turn into a half-Black/half-Muslim/half-Latino utopian version of 1984 Oceania, and I will be out of the way.   

[Relic]

....whatever the hell that means.     

Exactly.

I still live with the melting pot being the ideal. I reject the mosaic.

People are getting hung up on preserving their identity, or being offended because they can't be whatever-American, where they behave as a whatever, and that should be valued above all else.

Look, if you're Filipino, and you're a citizen, you're American. You can do whatever it is that makes you happy at home, but when you interface with the rest of us, English would be nice. Don't get angry because I don't know Tagalog. Don't get upset because I don't get excited to hear Tagalog when you come to me to do business. At your home, speak Tagalog, drive a jeepy, eat lumpia, and drink San Miguel, I don't care.

Bi cultural? Why not Tri cultural? Why not sharia law? Why not build foot washing stations?

Hey, how did all this work out in the Balkans?