There certainly are signs Jeb Bush might run for president in 2016. Perhaps most tellingly, his son — himself a budding politician who’s probably been tutored in the art of media leaks — said last week there’s at least a 50-50 chance his dad will run. And the Wall Street Journal reported last week that Jeb’s advisers have asked fundraisers and consultants to hold off on backing another horse from the GOP stable. No doubt Jeb hasn’t decided yet, but without doubt he’s mulling it over, and maybe even daydreaming about Marine salutes and bands playing “Hail to the Chief.”
But Mother Jones is advising him to think twice. They argue he has too much baggage, and a presidential campaign would put him and his family through a wringer. (Of course, all presidential campaigns do that; and who but a megalomaniac wants the job?) His personal history, they say, “is an opposition researcher’s dream—clouded by embarrassing family episodes, allegations of philandering, offensive comments to black voters, and dubious business dealings.” Here’s their catalog of Jeb Bush & Family’s dysfunctions (remember, you don’t elect only a president; the whole family moves into the White House):
1. The dishonest wife: She got busted for trying to sneak clothing and jewelry purchased in Paris past Customs.
2. The drug addict daughter: She was busted for drugs, got a dozen traffic tickets, and wrecked three cars.
3. The stalker son: His oldest son broke into an ex-girlfriend’s house (but fled when confronted by her father).
4. The lewd son: His youngest son, at age 16, was arrested for boffing a girl in a mall parking lot. (Okay, who of us hasn’t done that? But we aren’t running for president.)
5. The crook brother: “Neil, who helped bankrupt a savings and loan, and once toured Asia with the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon while he was promoting the development of a 51-mile underwater highway between Russia and Alaska, will give reporters plenty to chew on.”
6. Shady business associates, part 1: Working for a character who’d previously been indicted for embezzling S&L funds and subsequently pleaded guilty to defrauding HUD.
7. Shady business associates, part 2: Working for a different character who shortly thereafter was indicted for Medicare fraud.
8. Shady business associates, part 3: Partnering with yet another shady character who got in trouble for bribing Nigerian officials.
9. Shady business associates, part 4: Partnering with a real estate developer who defaulted on government-backed loans, costing taxpayers millions while putting a tidy chunk of change in Jeb’s pockets.
10. Shady business associates, part 5: His consulting work for a conman who went to prison for money laundering; but Jeb didn’t profit from this gig because he had to disgorge his fees to defrauded investors.
11. The bankster: Lehman Brothers hired him to exploit his political and family connections to save the firm from collapse.
12. Palling around with terrorists: Lobbied his president father to release a Cuban terrorist who blew up an airliner full of kids.
13. Black voters, part 1: When running for governor in 1994, he was asked what he’d do to help African Americans, and replied, “Probably nothing.” True to his word, after being elected governor several years later, his administration purged thousands of eligible black voters from registration rolls.
14. Women voters, part 1: When running for governor in 1994, said women on welfare should “find husbands.”
15. Women voters, part 2: Denied banging a married ex-Playboy bunny he’d appointed to his cabinet. (If you have to deny something, you probably did it.)
16. Pot-smoking socialist hippie: That’s what Jeb was in his preppie days.
17. Black voters, part 2: Got all of 4% of the black vote in his first run for governor (see #13 above).
18. Charter school promotor: The first charter school Jeb promoted was shut down by the state; promoted another operator who scammed Ohio taxpayers for millions; promoted and helped two more operators who were caught manipulating school ratings and test scores.
19. IRS complaint: Jeb’s tax-exempt education nonprofit was accused of corporate lobbying; the IRS won’t say what their disposition of the case was.
20. Flip-flopper: It’s hard to know what his position on immigration is, because it changes, depending on the audience.
21. Paying homage to Saint Ronnie: Said Reagan couldn’t get elected as a Republican today. He’s probably right.
22. His mother: She thinks we’ve had “enough” presidents named Bush. After his brother, a lot of voters agree with her. Plus, his dad was a one-termer. Okay, this last one is a little unfair; he’s not his dad or brother. But he’s an apple that fell from the same tree (see #1 – #20 above).
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/23-reasons-why-jeb-bush-shouldnt-run-president
Of course, I don’t know how this will shake out. As a Bush, he certainly enjoys a lot of name familiarity; and there’s a lot of low-information voters out there who’ll readily vote for any name on a ballot they vaguely remember seeing before. That’s why parties and politicians spend billions on TV ads. In fact, you could argue that an opponent’s negative ads against a candidate actually help the candidate by increasing his name familiarity. That’s how ignorant some American voters are.
The cynical side of my brain argues that precedents have already been established for electing thieves and cokeheads to the White House, paving the way for Jeb, so his sordid family probably isn’t really as big an impediment as Mother Jones makes it out to be. And Jeb’s youthful pot smoking won’t be a problem, even if he inhaled; Bill Clinton swept away that taboo. As for Jeb’s alleged philandering, well, Jack Kennedy. So, you see, a lot of the hard work of preparing the electorate to be led by a scumbag like him has already been done by predecessors.
My educated guess is Jeb probably can have the 2016 GOP nomination for the asking, and the only real thing standing between him and the White House is a woman named Hillary. Which reminds me of Jack Kennedy’s 1960 remark to an aide, recounted in Theodore H. White’s book, The Making of the President: “Do you realize I’m the only thing standing between Dick Nixon and the White House?” Hillary may well be the only thing standing between Jeb Bush and the presidency. I suspect that’s enough, but only if she runs, and only if we liberals — however reluctantly — support her. The alternative may be unthinkable.