Check out Jeb on a Harley - he'll be riding to a history-making victory in 80 short days!

various - jeb. org, CNN, Orlando Sentinel, others ^ | August 17, 2002 | summer

[summer]

Gov. Bush checks out a Harley at Jim's Harley shop in
St. Petersburg, FL.

Check out Jeb on a Harley - he'll be riding to a history-making victory in 80 short days!

written by summer - a former Dem, now an independent and a FL certified teacher

I was about to write a brief editorial titled 100 Days Till Jeb Makes FL History - but, then I counted the days and guess what? Only 80 days left until the general election in November. Not 100. Time sure flies!

So, in 80 short days, GOP Governor Jeb Bush will become FL's first GOP gov to win a 2nd term. He'll make history!

And, I predict he will also win by the largest margin of victory ever in a FL gov race. Another history making milestone for Gov. Bush!

In addition, this will be a fair election - voters have waited for Dem candidates to START debating the issues amongst themselves, but all we get is a bunch of "We hate Jeb" talk. Well, FL voters do not hate Jeb. Everywhere Gov. Bush goes, crowds mob him. He must be doing something right, because FL voters do not always vote GOP. In fact, I think the "We hate Jeb talk" was the #1 mistake of Dems this FL gov race. If that's all they could figure out to talk about, they deserve to lose. The spirited debate FL voters hoped for did not materialize. Reno has agreed to all of one debate with McLawyer, and neither of them has yet said the word "technology" or "new jobs" or anything else of interest to FL voters.

So, what do you think we see now? Some Dems are gearing up for their biggest loss in FL history by pretending this FL gov raced is "fixed" - as in this cartoon: CLICK HERE.

Other Dems knows better than to blame Gov. Bush for the upcoming defeat of Dem gov candidates. Let's face it - Gov. Bush has a great record, he's the incumbent, and he's wildly popular with voters across the political spectrum. The Dem candidates never excited FL voters. They never bothered to research the issues and deliver better ideas.

From The Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas -- who tends to be anti-Jeb in his writings -- we have this candid appraisal of the race, from his column dated August 8th, 2002:

……Janet Reno, whose strategy is, Vote for me because I'm Janet Reno!

And McBride, whose strategy is, Just hang with me because any day now, I'm going to start buying commercials with all these millions.

Time out for reality.

Jeb Bush, the Republican, is going to win. Democrats, therefore, should use this opportunity to get the school amendments passed and introduce attractive candidates for future races.

In 2000, the surprise showing of Al Gore, and Bill Nelson'selection to the U.S. Senate, showed that the Democrats can win in this state if they produce viable candidates.

But instead of looking ahead in the governor's race, the Democrats seem to be going with Reno, a tarnished relic from the past. She will get steamrolled in November.It's to be hoped that she won't drag down the class-size and pre-K constitutional amendments with her.

Where will this leave Democrats positioned for 2006? They will have no tested statewide candidates going up against the likes of Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan or popular HUD Secretary Mel Martinez.

The Republicans were smart in 1994. Maybe they couldn't beat Lawton Chiles, but they used the opportunity to introduce Jeb Bush to the electorate. He made a good impression, and look where he is now….

Then we have the Dem national party chairman, whose public comments, by omission, are telling Dem supporters to stick their money back in their wallets and forget about this FL race. Here's what Terry McAuliffe reportedly plans to omit mentioning in an upcoming speech, according to this CNN Inside Politics article dated August 10, 2002:

McAuliffe ['s speech] will tout Democratic challengers to Republican senators in New Hampshire, Arkansas, Colorado and Oregon, and he will also express optimism that the party's gubernatorial nominees will prevail in Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Arizona, Wisconsin and Maine. […]

But notably, McAuliffe will not mention Democratic candidates seeking four open Senate seats now in Republican hands in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee. Democrats are not clearly favored in any of those races.

[Also, "notably" -- although this CNN article won't spell it out for readers: McAuliffe will not mention the FL gov race, since Dems are clearly not favored in that race either. Sorry Dem lurkers! Even the Top Mop of your party knows it's over in FL...]

Meanwhile, Gov. Jeb Bush is busy checking out a Harley -- with only 80 short days to go until he rides to a history-making victory.

And, as I have mentioned before on this forum: FL bikers are backing Gov. Bush in a big way, because he signed a new law early on, giving bikers the freedom to choose to wear or not wear a helmet.

Only 80 days....what can we say but: Go Gov. Bush!

[summer]

:)!

[summer]

For index.

[summer]

FYI. :)

[swheats]

Please just don't let him take the harley to the open road until after his victory speech.

[summer]

LOL... :)

[I still care]

Sounds great summer, but I am a little concerned about those Florida amendments. People tend to pass anything "for the children's schooling" without really thinking about it. One of them is mandatory class sizes and one is state sponsered preschool. Another is trying to gut Jeb's education plan. These amendments will cost billions.

[summer]

FYI! :)

[summer]

I agree with you - what happens with those amendments will be very interesting. It's what I am watching too. Thanks for your post, I still care.

[summer]

Also, I have to say: I was reading various reports on what happened after CA's GOP Gov. Pete Wilson lowered class size by state law several years ago during his term, and I must admit: all reports noted the results were not good -- and the students most harmed were the low income kids in the worst schools.

CA suddenly needed so many new teachers that they hired unqualified people in every respect, and those kids really lost out.

I was originally in support of the lower class size amendment, but now, I am rethinking it. Those low income here kids in FL have been making the most gains, and it would be terrible to go backwards.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Here Jeb ride a chopped 54'

[summer]

great pic! Thanks, ATOMIC_PUNK! :)

[duckbutt]

From your lips to God's ear, Summer!!

I want to see Reno humiliated, run over, torn apart, be made to slink off into the sunset by the astounding defeat she will be handed by Gov. Jeb Bush!!

[Leisler]

So where will Reno next attach herself too? Some public university no doubt.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

……Janet Reno, whose strategy is, Vote for me because I'm Janet Reno!

Great speech, summer. Your enthusiasm is contageous. Even your little smiley face appears to be sticking out its tongue in anticipation of election 2002 - or in response to Janet Reno, DNC superstar. c(^:

[Pippin]

Thanks for the ping, Summer!

Go Gov. Bush!

[deport]

Just being on a Harley surely doesn't guarantee a second term in office..... But I suspect and certainly hope that Governor Bush will succeed in doing that.

[JulieRNR21]

[Also, "notably" -- although this CNN article won't spell it out for readers: McAuliffe will not mention the FL gov race, since Dems are clearly not favored in that race either. Sorry Dem lurkers! Even the Top Mop of your party knows it's over in FL...]

Your confidence is even making a 'worry wart' like me feel a bit more relaxed.....the Dems are certainly in disarry at the moment but I think we'll see a major 'smear JEB and play the 'race card' campaign' after the primary! Just hope & pray that FL voters don't fall for the usual RAT tricks!

For 4 years Floridians have seen JEB in action & know his accomplishments....so the 'usual tricks & smears' may not work as well as before.....

[cubreporter]

Yep, George W. Bush rides into victory again in 2004 in his big, mean Ford machine and Jeb will ride into victory with his second term on a big, mean Harley machine.

[cubreporter]

I'll take a victory by any margine but...yours sounds very like more fun. :)