On Wednesday, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made one of his first major public appearances after a relatively low-profile summer. He gave a speech in North Carolina supporting Republican senatorial candidate Thom Tillis. This is a pretty common tactic for politicians with presidential aspirations, as it gets them in the media spotlight and helps them network with other politicians.

Despite some liberals saying that Bush has the “Bush curse” and that the Bush family brand is damaged goods, Bush is a strong contender for the 2016 presidential election. And recently, there have been signs indicating his interest in running for the Republican nomination.

He’s been talking a lot of trash about other Republican presidential hopefuls, according to CNBC which reported, “People close to the family say Jeb Bush does not want to see New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dominate the moderate lane in 2016 … and he believes the nomination of someone like Sen. Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), would produce an electoral disaster for Republicans akin to the 1964 wipeout of GOP nominee Barry Goldwater.”

While some political analysts may discount Bush, he’s not out of the race yet. He has a lot to offer in key areas that many of the Republican candidates lack. He’s a moderate on some issues — despite what he says — and has experience, something missing in some of the Republican presidential hopefuls.

Despite his moderate stances, Bush is being courted by not only establishment Republicans, but also by social conservatives. Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, who serves as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said in an April 8 RealClearPolitics article that Bush is “an attractive candidate for Evangelicals that adhere to a pro-faith family and religious freedom agenda. He resonates on multiple levels. His optics on faith, his strong narrative as it pertains to his conservative leadership in Florida — those credentials speak for themselves.”

This speaks volumes, as Bush has openly said numerous times that he is in favor of same-sex marriage, something that many social conservatives are still very much so against. To me, these candidates are supporting Bush because of his experience.

Bush also polls incredibly well with Latinos, likely due to his moderate stance on immigration, such as supporting a path to citizenship for all illegal immigrants in this country. The GOP has been trying hard in Florida to get more of the Latino vote, after they won only 35 percent of the Latino vote in Florida during the 2000 presidential election and lost even more of it in 2012, winning only 27 percent of the Latino vote.

Again, reports of Bush’s irrelevancy are overstated. He’s just getting started in regards to this election and he has a lot of muscle to work with. He’s experienced, competent, he’s able to reach across the aisle on some issues like same-sex marriage and immigration, he can get Latino votes and he has a lot of staying power within the party. Bush hasn’t held office since 2007, but he’s been influencing the party for seven years.

Bush isn’t a wildcard, he’s an ace that hasn’t been played yet. He isn’t politically dead — one could argue he’s giving life to a party, in which the candidates are too young, inexperienced, or partisan. He’s a strong and stable pick, and he won’t be going anywhere. I guess you could say we shouldn’t beat around the Bush.

Rami Jackson is a junior entrepreneurship and policy studies major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @IsRamicJ.

 

Published on September 29, 2014 at 12:38 am