JUNE 15, 2015
Well, he’s finally in. Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) announced today in Miami that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. Bush becomes the 11th GOP candidate in the field in an ever-growing group of contenders.
Bush’s speech, before a cheering crowd of 3,000 supporters, was carefully but effectively worded, with only a passing reference to his father’s and brother’s presidencies. But he didn’t shy away from tackling one of his most challenging issues, that of his family’s legacy.
“Not a one of us deserves the job by right of résumé, party, seniority, family or family narrative. It’s nobody’s turn. It’s everybody’s test.”
It was a deft way of maneuvering the “third President Bush” problem, while taking a subtle swipe at Hillary in the process. Bush then went on to argue how his experience as a governor gives him the kind of managerial experience lacking in some of his rivals.
“There’s no passing off responsibility when you’re a governor, no blending into the legislative crowd or filing an amendment and calling that success. As our whole nation has learned since 2008, executive experience is another term for preparation, and there is no substitute for that.”
Take that, Sens. Cruz and Rubio. Oh and, yes, President Obama. However, such clever turns of phrase have been rare for Bush during the exploratory part of his campaign. He quite famously stumbled over the question of whether he would have invaded Iraq today and took four days to find a credible answer. That fiasco seriously hurt his once-surging campaign, leaving him a shaky front-runner in a contest in which he was expected to dominate.
Still, barring further stumbles, Bush probably has the clearest path to the GOP nomination, given his establishment backing and big-money support. But, as of now, he is anathema to much of the conservative wing of the party, a wing that dominates the early primary states. That may change, but Bush will have to work hard, harder than I’m sure he ever expected, to win over those hearts and minds.
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