A look at preparations by former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., for a potential 2016 presidential campaign:
Nondenial denial: “I can honestly tell you that I don’t know what I’m going to do,” is his standard disclaimer. Says he’ll decide by end of year whether to run. One factor in decision: whether he can run an optimistic campaign and avoid “mud fight” of politics.
Book: Yes. Co-authored “Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution,” which he promoted on all five Sunday morning TV talk shows on March 10, 2013.
Iowa visits: Yes, in 2012, economic development meeting in Sioux City, but he’s not making splashy visits to early voting states yet, in keeping with his views about showing restraint.
New Hampshire: No record of recent visits.
South Carolina: Yes, in April 2012. Spoke to Empower S.C. Education Reform meeting.
Foreign travel: Yes, a few times a year. Several visits to Israel, as governor in 1999 and as private citizen in 2007. Also went there as Florida commerce secretary in 1980s.
Meet the money: Yes, he’s got longtime connections on Wall Street and beyond — as a Bush, a former governor and now a senior adviser at the financial firm Barclays. Flew to Las Vegas in March to meet GOP super donor Sheldon Adelson and address senior members of Republican Jewish Coalition at Adelson’s company airport hangar. In February, his short video for a GOP fundraiser at Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, Fla., estate was a bigger hit than Sen. Ted Cruz’s keynote speech. Party in summer of 2013 for his immigration book at home of Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets and a leading Republican bundler.
Networking: Doing more this year. Already a favorite of the GOP establishment. Recent travels to Tennessee, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas. Skipped Conservative Political Action Conference in March, after giving keynote speech to the influential group a year earlier. 2013 Faith and Freedom Coalition meeting. Speeches and meetings on education policy.
Hog the TV: No. Blanketed the Sunday talk shows in March 2013 to plug his book on immigration, but not many appearances since.
Do something: Strong job approval ratings as governor of Florida, a swing state. Revamped state educational system, cut taxes, managed state through several hurricanes.
Take a stand: Unapologetic proponent of Common Core education standards and immigration changes opposed by many in GOP.
Baggage: The Bush factor. Jeb is yet another Bush, which is a plus for many people but a negative for a big slice of the electorate that either didn’t like Bush 41 and/or 43, or simply objects to the whole idea of a political dynasty. “It’s an issue for sure,” he acknowledges. Courting trouble with the right with positions on education and remarks in April that people who cross into the U.S. illegally are doing so as an “act of love” for their families.
Shadow campaign: He’s a Bush — he’s got tons of connections. Sally Bradshaw, his chief of staff when he was governor, is his go-to political person.
Social media: Tweets and posts many Wall Street Journal stories, education thoughts and some Bush family doings. Tweeted in November 2013: “Why would our President close our Embassy to the Vatican? Hopefully, it is not retribution for Catholic organizations opposing Obamacare.” Fact-checkers pointed out the U.S. Embassy in Rome was relocating, not closing.
EDITOR’S NOTE: 2014 is a year of auditioning, positioning, networking and just plain hard work for people who might run for president in 2016. There’s plenty to do, and the pace has quickened since The Associated Press last took a broad look at preparations for a potential campaign. Here’s a look at one prospective candidate.
(AP)
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One Response
His principle checklist is how he can win over the Tea Party and the Libertarians, without compromising his principles or alienating his “country club” (a.k.a. Wall Street) base. That really isn’t so impossible, since many aspects of the Tea Party (fiscal responsibility and no bailouts) and Libertarian (civil liberties) agendas haved broad appeal, and the leading candidates of both movements aren’t especially attractive (inexperienced, too prone to putting feet in mouth, etc.). At this point, Obama is working hard at making George W. Bush look good, which helps Jeb, but he can’t count on Democrats targetting their own feet forever.