Jeb Bush, Policy Wonk, But Hardly an Electoral Titan

American Spectator ^ | 5/27/15 | David Mark

[jimbo123]

Republicans in 1994 had their best election cycle in decades. The GOP swept to joint majorities in Congress for the first time in 40 years. And the party picked up a net 10 governorships, giving them 30 of 50 overall.

But Jeb Bush wasn’t among them.

The Bush family scion came up short that year in his run against Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles. Even as Jeb’s older brother George W. Bush toppled a Democratic governor in Texas, setting him on the road to the White House six years later.

Jeb Bush, a South Florida businessman, did go on to claim the Sunshine State governorship in 1998, and was re-elected easily in 2002. But those were against middling-at-best opponents, with the latter win in a strong Republican year.

This checkered electoral history is worth recalling as Bush dives deeper into his all-but-certain 2016 presidential run. Whatever his strengths on policy and his commitment to conservative values, he just hasn’t really won highly competitive races. Compared to battle-tested pols like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, or even Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Bush is going to have to seriously up his campaign trail game to emerge at the Republican presidential nominee in 2016.

[jimbo123]

Jeb Bush = GOP-e Designated Loser.

[9YearLurker]

Policy wonk? What, on immigration? Common core?

Puh-lease.

[webheart]

This is a democrat-style unpaid political ad for Jeb Bush. They want him bad!

[RitaOK]

Conservatives are about to be misdirected, demoralized, dumbfounded, mislead, marginalized, mocked and in so far as possible, left confused. Our own media will be a participant.

This is the stuff of the election cycle, and to make us all road kill requires our disintegration, division among ourselves, self destruction, and slandering of our own candidates.

The Establishment joins with the Left to keep us immobilized and off the streets. It has always worked before, so why would they change?

I hope we take care of our line up all the way to the convention. That would be quite a shake up to our usual pattern of compliant behavior. The convention of states and our candidates and their delegates would matter again.