Jeb Bush’s son George says that Jeb is “moving forward” on a 2016 presidential bid. This is consistent with a variety of other signals Jeb Bush has given, and in my view, it is bad news. I admire Jeb Bush: he was an excellent governor, and he is a good man who has thought seriously about many of the issues, especially the “softer” issues, that confront us. But the last thing the Republican Party needs in 2016 is another Bush heading the ticket. Jeb’s mother Barbara was right about that.
Frankly, the thought of a Clinton-Bush matchup in 2016 is appalling. The conservative base will be fired up after eight years of the Obama disaster, but the one thing that might cause large numbers of conservatives to lay down their arms is Clinton vs. Bush. Hillary Clinton is, not to put too fine a point on it, a grating, unlikable, elderly lady. She can be had by someone younger: a fresh face, a new voice, someone who changes the dynamic. Pretty much anyone but a Bush, in other words.
The Republican Party is awash in potential candidates who fit the bill: Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal, John Thune, maybe Chris Christie, maybe–who knows?–Susana Martinez. Jeb Bush, with all due respect, doesn’t. We have had enough of political dynasties. They are part of the reason our political class is so dysfunctional. The Bushes are a great, reputable family–unlike, say, the Kennedys, whose IQs have dropped to an alarming level. But enough is enough. It is time to move on. Just say no, Jeb.
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