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Republicans Must Be a National Party
WSJ Opinion Journal ^ | February 14, 2009 | Fred Barnes

Posted on 02/14/2009 4:43:12 AM PST by Jim Noble

His grandfather Prescott Bush was a U.S. senator, and his father and brother were presidents. Yet Jeb Bush doesn't believe in political dynasties, and seems perfectly willing to let his family's legacy of serving in high office in Washington pass him by.

But Mr. Bush becomes animated when talking about ideas and policy innovations -- he's an unorthodox Republican who latches onto reform ideas wherever he finds them. He's a fan of the school system in Sweden (more on this below)....

"Beyond the ideas and all of that," Mr. Bush says the GOP must be a national party. That means "we need to be competitive in California,"...

Republicans must also clean up their act on immigration, Mr. Bush insists. Last year, he says they "set a tone" that pushed Hispanic voters away. "The tone of the debate reached a point that was very damning to the Republican Party, and the evidence is in. The chest pounders lost."....

Mr. Bush supports immigration reform as championed by his brother and John McCain, which would allow illegals already in this country to stay. "Politics has to be about ideas and values and aspirations." he says. "It shouldn't be about anger and preying on people's emotions. You can't lead a mob."...

Mr. Bush has kind words for Mr. Obama. He was the first Democrat to win Florida since 1976, and Mr. Bush has nothing but praise for his "spectacularly well-run campaign....

Mr. Bush has a personal motive for urging Republicans to "avoid personal, partisan attacks" on Mr. Obama, a strategy they've largely followed in Washington. "I would never want Obama to go through what my brother went through.... But it's not right for our country, it's not going to help us, and it's not going to help Republicans."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; conservatism; gop; grassroots; itsalive; nightoflivingdead; nomorebushes; rinopurge; rnc
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Opening salvo in the Bush 2012 campaign. Chest pounders and mob leaders jump in...
1 posted on 02/14/2009 4:43:12 AM PST by Jim Noble
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To: Jim Noble

No Bushes in 2012! Scorched earth if we have to!


2 posted on 02/14/2009 4:46:10 AM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Nihil utile nisi quod honestum - Marcus Tullius Cicero)
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To: Jim Noble

No Amnesty Pandering RINOS PLEEEEAAASE!


3 posted on 02/14/2009 4:46:49 AM PST by NavVet ( If you don't defend Conservatism in the Primaries, you won't have it to defend in November)
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To: Jim Noble

4 posted on 02/14/2009 4:47:33 AM PST by Diogenesis (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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To: Jim Noble

Dead in the tracks. A total nonstarter. There won’t be any Bush President’s in the next 100 years. Rightly so. We are a Republic and have no need for dynasties.


5 posted on 02/14/2009 4:48:00 AM PST by SolidWood ("NO on the stimulus package" Governor Palin said.)
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To: Jim Noble

He was not the first democrat to win Florida since 1976. BJ won Florida in 1996.


6 posted on 02/14/2009 4:49:26 AM PST by David1
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To: Jim Noble

I would never vote for Jeb Bush. He disgraced himself during the Schiavo affair. A night watchman at a bakery has bigger ones.


7 posted on 02/14/2009 4:49:36 AM PST by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (American Revolution II -- overdue.)
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To: Jim Noble

Fred Barnes, Jeb Bush & John McCain.

The epitome of what is wrong with the stupid party.


8 posted on 02/14/2009 4:52:20 AM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: Jim Noble

As a conservative individual, the republican party has abandoned conservative principles and most noticably their own conservative platform. Like fools, they continue to try to make liberal policies and principles their new way and that is just evil.
Evil is as evil does, and the GOP is now liveral as the communist democrats and will get worse and worse. Their is no cure for evil but the judgement of God and that is come.
The gop is dead.


9 posted on 02/14/2009 4:54:35 AM PST by kindred (Conservatives have 4 years to start a new conservative party or lose more elections.)
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To: kindred

Exactly how many independents were in the Senate trying to fight this scamulus?

Exactly how many independents were in the House voting against the scamulus?

Cut and Run? That leaves valuable real estate to brand-name hijackers. Don’t even go there.


10 posted on 02/14/2009 5:00:02 AM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: Jim Noble
no more Bushes, no more, not ever!!!!

America is all RINO’d out....please, go back to Texas or Florida or Connecticut or where ever the RINOs go.

11 posted on 02/14/2009 5:00:43 AM PST by Vaquero ( "an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Altura Ct.

Let’s start being The Party of Integrity and bless ourselves instead of using that loathesome negative talk.

Deeds more than words to describe us—and describe ourselves as we should be not at our worst.

Focus on the solution, not the problem.


12 posted on 02/14/2009 5:02:43 AM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: SolidWood

No more Bushes! look that the last one left for a GOP , a 3.5 trillion Porkulus package rammed through.


13 posted on 02/14/2009 5:03:10 AM PST by omega4179 (1.20.13 end of an error , a big one.)
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To: Jim Noble
Excellent article. Jeb Bush thinks broadly and innovatively, yet he needs to expound on exactly how he would reform immigration. He seems to demonize the "chest pounders", a group who merely seek to have the laws of this land enforced. As if that were somehow undesirable, or sinful.
He did this with his assessment of our education system vis a vis that of Sweden.

The Kindle book reader. How do these devices work? Do you download books for a price, akin to something like iTunes for an iPod?

14 posted on 02/14/2009 5:03:19 AM PST by jla (Sarah! sarahpac.com)
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To: Jim Noble

PLEASE NOT *ANOTHER* BUSH RINO

W AND HIS FATHER *BOTH*SIGNED THE BIGGEST GOVERNMENT MONEY HOAXES IN HISTORY

THEY ARE TOO STUPID TO STICK TO CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES WHEN PRESSURED BY DEMOCRAPS


15 posted on 02/14/2009 5:06:50 AM PST by Mr. K (physically unable to proofreed (<---oops))
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To: Jim Noble
Jeb makes a lousy grassroots Republican, but then so would most of the big chunks floating at the top of the GOP septic tank. I do think he makes a dynamite moderate Democrat though.

So does Fred Barnes.

Mr. niteowl77

16 posted on 02/14/2009 5:07:48 AM PST by niteowl77 (You wanted him, and now you have got him. I say, "Good day to you," America.)
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To: Jim Noble

I will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever vote for another Bush.


17 posted on 02/14/2009 5:10:26 AM PST by nonliberal (Graduate: Curtis E. LeMay School of International Relations)
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To: Jim Noble
"It's "possible," he says, that he'll never run again -- for anything. That includes the presidency in 2012."

'12 maybe not. In '16 absolutely. Notice in the article talking about past and present GOP governors no mention of Sarah Palin? The GOP "elite" do not want her in the national arena as much as the Dems.
18 posted on 02/14/2009 5:10:40 AM PST by GQuagmire
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To: Jim Noble
"I would never want Obama to go through what my brother went through.... But it's not right for our country, it's not going to help us, and it's not going to help Republicans."

Don't worry, your pretty little head Jeb, it will be in the end much worse for B. Hussein

Obama's first terrorist attack was coordinated by himself , Pelosi and Reid, their collective actions and those that voted for it are nothing short of treason.

The muslims will attack us again and it will be a damn hard hit, Mexico is on the brink of dissolution, if not revolution........

It will not be a pretty 4 years for Obama, for the rest of us it will be a nightmare.

Perhaps Jeb you should be more worried about the country, than the legacy or treatment of an out right socialist, hell bent on destroying the country your father went to war for.

19 posted on 02/14/2009 5:10:54 AM PST by Kakaze (Exterminate Islamofacism and apologize for nothing.....except not doing it sooner!)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus; Vaquero; SolidWood; All

What the hell does a candidate’s last name have to do with his qualifications?


20 posted on 02/14/2009 5:11:15 AM PST by Cedric
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