Posted on 12/17/2014 9:56:02 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The key bit comes at 1:20. BuzzFeed headlines this clip, “Jeb Bush Thinks He Can Persuade The Republican Base To Get Behind Immigration Legislation.” Is that what Bush said?
“A candidate gets to persuade,” Bush said to Miami’s NBC 6. “I think there’s a compelling case that if we want to be young and dynamic again, we have to make legal immigration easier than illegal immigration, that we control our borders, enforce the laws. But that we embrace our immigrant heritage and allow our country to take off. You gotta do both.”
“You gotta protect the borders, enforce the law, be respectful of the rule of law, and at the same time be able to encourage young aspirational people to come to our county,” Bush said. “It’s a win-win. I have no problems advancing that idea.”
Asked about it’s deep unpopularity again with the party base, Bush added “well we’ll see. If I run, we’ll see.”
It’s the reporter who mentions the base, i.e. conservatives. Bush is less specific, for good reason: His core strategy, I thought, was to accept that he can’t persuade conservatives and therefore shouldn’t try. The more you bend over backwards in the primaries to please them, a la Mitt Romney and “self-deportation,” the more trouble you’ll have maneuvering to the center in the general election. That’s what Bush’s weird “lose the primary to win the general” comment to fundraisers was about last week. (Then again, Romney didn’t pander on his core liability, RomneyCare. Some reversals, like Jeb turning hawkish on immigration, might seem too transparently opportunistic to voters to produce real benefits.) What he’s saying here, as I understand it, is that he’s going to try to convince his own particular base of centrists and “somewhat conservative” voters that they should embrace immigration reform — which isn’t a heavy lift, really. Lots of Republicans seem open to a deal on amnesty, just not the sort you’ll find on talk radio or writing for most conservative media. The trick for Bush isn’t convincing RINOs to back comprehensive legislation, it’s convincing them to back him to the hilt at the polls when, not if, the winner of the conservative mini-primary begins framing the nomination as a referendum on amnesty. Lots of tea partiers will turn out to try to beat Jeb if those are the stakes. Will centrists turn out in equal numbers to save him, especially with Obama’s executive order having further fouled the subject among GOPers?
Oh, speaking of Jeb drawing sharp contrasts with Romney, this tidbit from the NYT’s story today about his campaign launch is fun:
Further, the possibility of a third campaign by Mitt Romney, the Republicans’ 2012 standard-bearer, now seems less likely. Some party elites were eying a Romney revival in large part because they were seeking a candidate formidable enough to take on former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Tension between supporters of the two Republicans have been rising, and at least one Romney adviser has expressed irritation to Mr. Bush’s backers about some of the former Florida governor’s recent criticism of Mr. Romney’s 2012 campaign.
Remember that when Mitt shocks the world and blows up Jeb’s campaign by jumping in next year. Romney III: This time it’s personal.
Exit question: Will anyone else competing for the centrist vote decide to try to persuade “somewhat conservative” voters to back amnesty? Most if not all of them, right? Christie will surely endorse a deal; I’ll be surprised if Walker doesn’t too; and Rubio already voted for a deal before trying desperately to run away from it. I’ve made this point before — as much as we’d like to think that the candidates’ stances on immigration will guide our preferences, the hard truth is that none of them will be very different from the others, with the possible exception of Cruz. And even Cruz isn’t going to take a Romneyesque “self-deportation” position; he might insist on a “security first” bill with legalization later but no path to citizenship, neglecting the fact that citizenship will inevitably follow for illegals once legalization is granted. The other candidates will be variations in degree, not in kind. E.g., Jeb might accept “security first” but endorse citizenship so long as there’s a long ripening period. Rand Paul might accept a comprehensive deal but with a long waiting period even for legalization. Rubio, eager to rehabilitate himself, will probably end up taking whatever position Cruz takes, knowing that moderates will reward him for his efforts on the Gang of Eight anyway. And if Romney jumps in, rest assured he’ll be firmly in the amnesty camp this time, the “self-deportation” stuff from 2012 notwithstanding. Republicans fear alienating Latino voters more than they already have. There’ll be no strong exceptions to that rule this time, or likely ever again.
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Force the liberal left to explain the GREAT SOCIETY and why it does not work. You will soon find your mass immigration bullshit.
Oh yeah? Drop dead.
I wonder...will the dissuade the JEB supporters at FR?
Evidently, he is running for President of “Meet the Press” and “Face the Nation”.
The Republican left doesn’t need to be brought around, and conservatives aren’t buying the Wall Street goo Jeb is peddling. We also don’t want Jeb’s Common Core, or Michelle’s meals, or Barry’s Obamacare. Jeb can keep his Socialism, and the American dream of La Raza.
I think Ronald Reagan was pretty honest for the most part, and Barry Goldwater very honest.
“...another globalist...”
Yes, that and the fact that Jeb is married to a wetback and probably has been brainwashed all his married life by pillow talk about how immigration should be relaxed.
his voice will put one to sleep so no one will be able to hear his entire arguement be convinced!
I guess the GOPe really wants Hillary for president.
I find myself in a very uncomfortable position of actually agreeing with Jessie Jackson when he said, “Stay outa da Bushes”.
Conservatives really need to point out that GOP establishment support of illegal aliens for cheap labor is nothing short of ethnic exploitation.
Illegals aren’t “winning” the immigration lottery with GOPe plans for them. They’re being taken.
“Doing the jobs Americans won’t do,” sounds eerily similar to the rationale for slavery not so long ago. Republicans opposed that rationale then, and we should now. There are NO jobs Americans won’t do. There are just jobs Americans won’t do for $6/ hr.
Pushing for a strong border and a legal immigration pathway that starts in their home country is respectful of those whom we would invite to enter. The GOPe wants to exploit illegals for their cheap labor, democrats for votes that depend on keeping the brown man down and dependent on government.
Nobody is looking out for potential immigrants but conservatives. Everybody else is just looking for “immigrants” - wink wink, nod nod.
Convincing conservatives?? Meh...not so much.
Last polling I saw had over 60% of those polled opposed to amnesty. Seems like an interesting way to start a campaign.
Jeb, the Republicans are already on board. It’s the Conservatives that understand and care about this atrocity.
Ohhhhh....Pi#@! off, JEb
As long as your efforts keep you too busy to run for president I can “try to convince” away, sir.
Jeb Bush: I’m going to try to persuade Republican voters that I’m not a Democrat
Unless you got to see the exact question that was asked and the only choices the pole takers got to choose from I would take any pole at this point and wonder if it was rigged. Were they only given those 3 choices?
The media is trying to chose a candidate once again for the Republicans so they lose.....always question the premise first.
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