I’m one of those who happens to be of the opinion that we are indeed fortunate enough to make it out alive after 8 years of Barry "Almighty" the very last thing that we need to do is to elect another Bush or Clinton to assume the reins of power. Having said that, it would appear that Jeb Bush recently took another step closer to announcing his bid for the presidency come 2016. But I think Jeb may have more than a few obstacles in front of him, as far as conservatives are concerned, not the least of which is his last name. But there are also his stances on a number of policy issues, most notably immigration and Common Core, to name just a couple, that could prove problematic for more than a few conservative primary voters. Personally, he is far from being my first choice.
But it’s at the same time that, as the husband of a Mexican-American woman and a vocal proponent of comprehensive immigration reform, Bush is touted as being a candidate that could have mass appeal among Hispanic voters who have not traditionally backed the GOP. Bush, as you may remember, once described illegal immigration as "an act of love," has said he does not believe that his stance on the issue would be a political liability. Recently Bush was heard on a local Florida TV station saying, "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 country. It's a win-win." He went on to say, "I have no problems advancing that idea."
While other potential GOP presidential candidates have adopted a much harsher tone on the issue of illegal immigration, and how best to address, that may resonate more with the conservative base, the general feeling is that the ultimate GOP nominee, whoever that may be, will need to court Hispanics in a general election. According to those who get paid for offering their opinion on such matters, it is said that while some single-issue voters will never vote for Jeb because he doesn't espouse the 'round them up and deport them all' position, it is a critical mass of voters who will look at the complete package of positions, experience and accomplishments. As far as I’m concerned, his position on immigration is but one chink in his political armor.
Because it is Bush's moderate position on other campaign issues that are also likely to draw criticism from conservatives. His continuing support of Common Core, for instance, has also been a bone of contention among those who oppose the involvement of the federal government in education. He could also be criticized for his positions on taxes and spending, as well as Obamacare. But according to Noah Wall, grassroots director at FreedomWorks, "It's definitely much more than Common Core." Mr. Wall went on to say, "The whole idea that Jeb Bush will just walk away with this really doesn't take into account the need for the Republican Party to nominate a solid conservative." And I could not agree more with his assessment if the situation.
Conservative activists have challenged Bush over a position he took back in 2011, when he refused to rule out tax increases in exchange for deeper spending cuts. Others are critical of his opposition to the strategy of defunding Obamacare. He said he would repeal the law and replace it with a better alternative. It was in a fundraising email Tuesday, Shaun McCutcheon, chairman of the Conservative Action Fund, called him "another establishment, compromising Republican." Mr. McCutcheon wrote, "Will you support a nominee who supports amnesty for illegal immigrants, the Washington takeover of our educational system (known as Common Core), and is already talking about raising taxes?" I agree with most, if not all, of what Mr. McCutcheon says.
And as it just so happens, it was one day after Bush all but announced a bid for the presidency in 2016 that a new poll has found that a majority of Americans say they couldn't support him. According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted Dec. 10-14 of 1,000 adults, 57 percent of voters say they couldn't support him, compared to just 31 percent who said they could see themselves backing Bush in 2016. Other potential GOP candidates also do not fare well. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they could not support 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, while 53 percent said they couldn't vote for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Anyone seeing a common thread running through all these candidates? I’ll give you a hint, they’re all RINOs!
No surprise that Hitlery Clinton emerged from the poll as the Democrat frontrunner, with 50 percent of voters saying they could see themselves voting for her, compared to 48 percent who oppose her. "Despite these numbers, which could certainly change as the presidential field becomes clearer, Clinton is far from a lock on the presidency," NBC News said. NBC News noted that 71 percent of voters said they want the next president to take a different approach than Barry "Almighty", yet Clinton is strongly tied to the administration, having served in it. Meanwhile, 40 percent of voters in the poll said they prefer a Republican to be the next president, compared to 38 percent who do not. Which means it is all the more imperative that we nominate the very best candidate possible.
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