Posted on 03/31/2014 7:48:40 AM PDT by xzins
Saturday’s Washington Post gave prominent placement to an article headlined “Influential Republicans working to draft Jeb Bush into 2016 presidential race” that detailed the establishment GOP’s desperate attempt to recruit the former Governor of Florida to run for president.
The article by Philip Rucker and Robert Costa claims that “Concerned that the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal has damaged New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s political standing and alarmed by the steady rise of Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), prominent donors, conservative leaders and longtime operatives say they consider Bush the GOP’s brightest hope to win back the White House.”
Rucker and Costa then proceed to list exactly zero “conservative leaders” who are actively recruiting Bush to run for President.
They did, however, provide a long list of progressive Republican billionaires and establishment Republican supporters of Mitt Romney, and his disastrous failure in the 2012 presidential campaign, whose views of Jeb Bush were well stated by former Secretary of State and progressive Republican foreign policy guru Henry Kissinger: “He is someone who is experienced, moderate and thoughtful.”
The Washington Post writers then gave some examples of Bush’s recent political activity (remember he left office in 2006) that should give real pause to any conservative activist or Tea Party movement supporter who might be thinking that Bush wouldn’t be too bad.
Bush campaigned for Obama’s go-to Republican Senator, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, against State Rep. Joe Carr, the consensus Senate candidate of the state's Tea Party and limited government constitutional conservatives.
Last spring, Bush hosted a dozen high-profile conservatives, including writers for the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, at a dinner at Washington’s Willard InterContinental Hotel, where he defended Common Core.
During the fight to defund Obamacare Bush called Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire to commend her for opposing the conservatives whose fight to cut spending and defund Obamacare led to the federal government shutdown.
In other words, openly opposing the views of the grassroots conservative activist base of the Republican Party is what Rucker and Costa call “small steps to assert his conservative bona fides.”
Some may be inclined to chalk-up The Washington Post article as another example of the media not knowing anything about conservatives and the conservative movement and thus making the erroneous assumption that all Republicans, including Jeb Bush, are “conservative.”
But we don’t see it that way.
What we see is a steady and well-orchestrated effort to redefine “conservatism” to the left, and thus marginalize as “radical” or “unelectable” any candidate or elected official who subscribes to limited government constitutional conservative principles.
This can only help establishment Republican candidates like Chris Christie and Jeb Bush assert their conservative bona fides.
The Washington Post article was also really quite revealing in defining the civil war in the Republican Party by who it did and didn’t quote.
On one side were the “quote-ees;” the establishment Republican players, billionaire Romney “bundlers,” former ambassadors appointed by Jeb Bush’s father and brother and the prospective ambassadors to be appointed by Jeb if he gains the presidency.
On the other side were the “not-quoted;” the TEA Party activists, conservative movement leaders, limited government advocates and opponents of the surveillance state – including a good chunk of Silicon Valley – who have already seen what two Bush presidencies look like and want no part of another.
As CHQ Chairman Richard A. Viguerie observed in his new book TAKEOVER, due out on April 8, “No matter who else gets in the Republican presidential primaries, Jeb Bush will remain the ‘great white hope’ of the Republican establishment. In addition to supporting all of their major policy goals from Common Core to amnesty for illegal aliens, a Bush candidacy also holds out the hope of millions of dollars in consulting business and lucrative lobbying contracts for a small but powerful coterie of Bush family supporters and acolytes.
No one else in America, save Hillary Clinton, starts the 2016 political season with a larger Rolodex of Washington insider supporters than does Jeb Bush. A Jeb Bush election as president would ensure that the Republican establishment stays in power for at least another decade, and it would also ensure that, no matter if Jeb or the Democrat wins, Big Government will prevail.”
Click the link to read “Influential Republicans working to draft Jeb Bush into 2016 presidential race” by Philip Rucker and Robert Costa from Saturday’s Washington Post.
1. Bush -- like it or not, Americans in general and conservatives in particular don't like any hints of dynasties. This third Bush will clearly overshadow a second Clinton.
2. Terri Schiavo - Today is anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death. Her death is part of Jeb Bush's record. There couldn't be a more telling time (day) for Jeb Bush's aspirations for the presidency to be put in front of America.
3. Amnesty. Like his brother before him, and like all the Chamber of Commerce, Jeb Bush is pro-amnesty for illegals. Little more than a week ago, Jeb Bush was quoted as saying, "Jeb Bush: "People who come here legally and illegally are the risk takers....""
These are only the top 3 that tell me Jeb Bush is a non-starter.
His name now smacks of royalty, pro-lifers are rightly suspicious of him, and conservatives as a group do not support illegal amnesty.
The weaknesses of Jeb Bush at a glance:
1. Bush — like it or not, Americans in general and conservatives in particular don’t like any hints of dynasties. This third Bush will clearly overshadow a second Clinton.
2. Terri Schiavo - Today is anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death. Her death is part of Jeb Bush’s record. There couldn’t be a more telling time (day) for Jeb Bush’s aspirations for the presidency to be put in front of America.
3. Amnesty. Like his brother before him, and like all the Chamber of Commerce, Jeb Bush is pro-amnesty for illegals. Little more than a week ago, Jeb Bush was quoted as saying, “Jeb Bush: “People who come here legally and illegally are the risk takers....””
These are only the top 3 that tell me Jeb Bush is a non-starter.
His name now smacks of royalty, pro-lifers are rightly suspicious of him, and conservatives as a group do not support illegal amnesty.
Jeb’s also the preferred Pubbie nominee of MSNBC...enough said.
Conservative leaders for Jeb Bush? The smallest club in the world.
Glad they stated the No Conservative leaders recruited Jeb to run because NONE are!
Great analysis and spot on.
Bush is a joke. However, I think he is the GOP front runner as he will have the backing and we have just as many low info voters as the Dims. We also have no conservative leaders atm. Oh we have some prominent conservatives, just no leaders.
And if they are successful in nominating Jebby, I wonder if we’ll even carry Utah. You can also bet on losing the House and the Dims getting 60+ in the Senate especially if Hildabeast runs.
2014 is pretty meaningless. It’s 2016 that is huge. And what is the GOPs answer to that? A war on Conservatives.
Again, spot on analysis by the OP here.
Conservatives need rally around 1 or 2 candidates tops before the primaries or we’ll be stuck with another retread.
I’d say that Snuffleupagus will appear before a true conservative leader endorses Jeb. Bob
Jeb also pats himself on the back and claims he did great things in Florida’s public education system. While Florida’s graduation rates are climbing (barely) it remains in the bottom 10% when compared to other states.
Of course, the refusal of Baraq Obama and Harry Reid to consider a duly passed budget by the Constitutionally-mandated House of Congress responsible for providing one was what REALLY led to the shutdown. Again, The Lie, repeated.
Jeb Bush will never be the Republican Presidential nominee.
Never. Ever. Will not happen.
It’s just Jeb Bush’s name printed on a white business card.
Amnesty, specifically the GOP's and W's support of it, is what lost the GOP control of congress in 2006. That IMHO was really the nail in the coffin of the Bush administration.
These establishment Republicans never learn from history.
Our problem (myself included)is we think of Reagan as the rule rather than the exception. The Reagan presidency was fought tooth and nail by the establishment, many of whom are still in power today. Reagan had the same up hill battle that Ted Cruz will have getting the nomination, then getting his agenda through a GOP controlled congress.
Well, I would never, ever vote for him. But as for him being the Republican nominee, I wouldn't be surprised at this point. Nauseated, definitely. But not surprised.
Bullseye. That should be its own thread on FR every day for the next 3 years.
I think they are showing their hand. Bush will help Hillary because she can hide behind the fact that “his dynasty is worse than mine” JUST like romneycare and obamacare. Rinos don't care who's in power as long as they're liberal; democrat or republican.
Just another who wants to satisfy Wall Street and money holders when he should be seeking the support of Main Street. Maybe they think that not coming across as a flaming weirdo senator would be enough to win.
America has conservative leaders?
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