That actually might weigh against Kushner in this case. Historically, you’ll probably find that political campaign advisors rarely stay around as administration officials after their work is done. I was surprised to learn that James Carville, for example, basically disappeared from the Clinton team after he played such a key role in 1992.
He might not have been stationed at the White House, but he was very visible as a commentator for the Clintons on all the TV news channels.
Yes, but don’t forget the family tie. He and his wife are very tight with the POTUS. My belief is that whether he is conservative enough is not as much an issue as his loyalty to family and Father in Law. Plus Trump knows what his politics is by now and probably needs some linkage to the moderate (or whatever) that Kushner represents.