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)
Uhmmm, okay...well...GFY!!!
And totally ignore Obama's illegal actions? I guess the end justifies the means.
FAIL!
The only way Bush wins is if there are five indistinguishable conservatives in the primariess and he is the lone “moderate”. It will be McCain II.
To hell with what the voters want.
Jeb, since you have NEVER mentioned BUILDING THE PHYSICAL FENCE FIRST, you have already FAILED!!!
What a male organ he is.
How about immigration reform where we enforce the existing laws, moron? If they want to be here, apply for citizenship and join us as Americans. Earn your living, pay taxes like the rest of us, or go home.
can you say reality check Jeb? because one is surely on its way.
NO!
Both parties have lied to us about the border for my whole life ... 66 years.
NO!
Go for it Jeb, a regular Don Quixote, he is.
Poor guy. It will be settled in either 2015 or early 2016. The poor guy doesn’t even realize that. Goodness if he talks about a dead issue in 2016, he is sure to lose.
I heard a FOX poll yesterday. I believe it was FOX News, but anyways the top three finishers in their early poll for 2016 GOP hopefuls was Bush, Romney, and Christie. No matter how angry we get at our elected GOP officials, and believe us there are plenty of sellouts in that group, we have to face the reality that there are plenty of RINOS not just in the party leadership but among the rank and file voters. There has to be an explanation for why the GOP keeps nominating people like Dole, McCain, and Romney. It’s not just due to crossover voting by Democrats or too many conservatives splitting their votes. There are plenty of people in the GOP who like big government and detest any conservative so a vanilla Republican such as Bob Dole and John McCain have a shot at the nomination. Let’s be honest and acknowledge that Jeb Bush has a serious shot at the nomination. Conservatives better come up with a gameplan to take the GOP back or else we face four or more years of the Hillabeast or Lizzie Warren.
I started out not wanting Jeb just because of his last name. I am increasingly not wanting Jeb because of his first name.
Well, he’ll certainly have plenty of support from FOX News. They were falling over themselves on The Five talking about “how electable” Jeb was, and how people who didn’t support him wanted another Obama to get elected, yadda yadda. Several other Fox programs seemed to echo that note.
Actually Eisenhower did "Operation Wetback" so not you whole life, but otherwise true.
LOL! First they flooded the airways with Rubio telling everyone conservatives love amnesty, now JEBBY is going to tell us we have to love amnesty or we aren’t true patriotic republicans.
Look for
1. Multiple articles on the patriotism of amnesty
2. Demonization/Vilification of anyone who does not support amnesty
3. Heart rending stories of how illegals have come here and added to the wealth of the nation
4. How Americans owe it to the world to let as many in as want in.
What you’ll never see
1. How illegals/foreigners are accessing and exploiting our welfare system aided by our govt. and the foreign govts involved.
2. How blacks and lower income workers are hurt by foreigners taking jobs away from them and keeping wages low.
3. How STEM jobs are given to foreigners as the expense of American workers and how their incomes are kept low because of it.
4. Stories about people killed/maimed by illegals
5. Stories about the increase in crime/gangs and illnesses caused by illegals.
JEB, you sound like a democrat and you’ll have better results in the democrat party.
Clinton/Bush 2016 (Because Clinton alone isn’t commie enough.)
There’s no fool like an old fool.
I think a lot of RINO’s should run for president. And one conservative.
he should just run as a Democrat...
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