Jeb Bush to make decision on potential 2016 run by end of the year
Via Post Politics:
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush said Sunday that he will base his decision on whether to run for president in 2016 on whether he thinks he can mount a campaign that would transcend the modern-day mechanics of such a run.
Bush, the second-oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush and younger brother of George W. Bush, spoke at an event marking the 25th anniversary of his father’s presidency at the library and museum that bears the patriarch’s name. The event was closed to reporters, but moderated by Fox News anchor Shannon Bream and portions of the event were later broadcast on the Fox News Channel.
In a rambling answer that suggested he has given serious thought to the prospects of running for a job once held by his father and brother, Bush said he would decide whether to run for president by the end of this year. He appeared to bemoan the thought of having to spend time attending political cattle calls in early-primary states, suggesting that some candidates might devote too much time to questions such as, “How am I going to get to win the Muscatine Pork Roast straw poll, or something like that.”
Bush said he ultimately would base his decision on whether a candidate can “run with a hopeful, optimistic message, hopefully with enough detail to give people a sense that itβs not just idle words and not get back into the vortex of the mud fight.”
“In my case, that means can one do it joyfully without being tied to all the convention of the here and now?” he added.
Family considerations will also play a prominent role, he said, especially whether running a campaign would be a “huge sacrifice.”
“I just donβt want to go through that until the right time,” he added later. “And it turns out that not running has generated more interest than if I said I was running. Itβs kind of weird. Iβm not that smart, I promise you, it just kind of happened that way.”
I know he’s not so popular with the GOP conservative base right now – considering his support for comprehensive immigration reform that some have dubbed “amnesty” as well as his strong stance in favor of Common Core educational “standards.” Β But beyond that, I’m not sure the name “Bush” holds the widespread appeal beyond the Republican faithful that it used to anymore. Β While we all recollect mostly fondly of former Presidents Β George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, the Bush name has been through the ringer for the past decade or more and I’m not sure the American people are ready for another one.
Thoughts?