My conservative cousin from New York, having listened to our Power Line subscriber event, sent me his thoughts. He has been following presidential politics since the days of Dwight Eisenhower, so I thought it worth passing them along.
He writes:
I think Scott and Steve underestimate Jeb Bush. Sure, no activists find him exciting. But he’s got the money, organization and expertise to outlast a crowded field. So while he would be weak in the general where he would be facing one opponent, he could beat a fractured primary field.
Maybe far fetched but could there be a deadlocked GOP convention?
Has anyone given thought to Susanna Martinez? She’s a dynamic speaker with a compelling biography. If Walker wins the nomination he might take a serious look at an Hispanic women running mate.
Disagree with Steve’s thoughts on how retirees are faring in the economy. The over-65 crowd is more likely to have benefited from appreciation in the real estate and stock markets.
This economy has been devastating to young people seeking to enter the labor force. We all know the stories of liberal arts majors working as nannies and dog walkers. It’s even worse for those with just a high school diploma.
I agree that Jeb Bush has a decent shot at the nomination. We shouldn’t put too much stock in polls conducted this early, but Bush is ahead in New Hampshire and one can certainly imagine him winning in the Granite State.
If Bush is able to couple that with a victory in his home state of Florida, where he also leads in the early polls, he will more than confirm his status as a top tier candidate. Indeed, the New Hampshire-Florida double helped propel John McCain and Mitt Romney to the Republican nomination in 2008 and 2012, respectively.
I’m not trying to install Bush as the Republican front runner, but he certainly has a plausible path to the nomination. And there isn’t a huge distance between his center-right views and those of the last two Republican nominees.
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