GOP dopers in support of Jeb! Bush: Why?

Bush’s campaign slogan is just “Jeb!”

Jeb is currently at 16% of GOP voters. You are looking for the reasoning of SDMB GOPers for supporting Jeb. What is 16% of 2 again?

This thread is better suited to the Elections forum. I’ll move it there.

Harriet Miers?

Michael Brown (FEMA)?

Here’s a list. His appointments sucked.

Are you, or were you, a supporter of George W. Bush? My point is that I almost never hear his supporters criticize any of those things about his presidency. Bad things may have happened on his watch, but they can’t bring themselves to believe it was because of anything he did.

No, I’m not. But I do remember well that it was the Republicans that seemed most upset about Ms. Miers appointment to SCOTUS.

I don’t remember who opposed her nomination, but she wasn’t confirmed. When looking back on the Bush (the Younger) presidency, even I’ll admit that nominating Harriet Miers didn’t cause any of his poor results.

Besides, even if they criticized the Miers nomination then, I’m not sure it means anything now. Have you seen any real change in the GOP as a result of Bush? What lessons did they learn from him? I’m starting to like my answer more and more; Jeb! is popular because he’s so much like his brother, among people who still think it shoulda worked.

She was never nominated. Her name was floated around, but conservatives didn’t like her because she was (possibly) pro-choice and liberals (and even pro-choice or more thoughtful conservatives) didn’t like her because she didn’t have the qualifications that modern SCOTUS nominees typically have.

I think you might be wrong on that. All the cites I can find say she was nominated, and then the nomination was withdrawn.

CNN article from October 4, 2005

OK. I was using “nominated” in the sense of being sent to the Senate for a vote. I guess she was “nominated” but only a few weeks later she was “un-nominated” without the Senate voting on her.

I still want to know if the Spanish version of his slogan is “¡Jeb!”.

And if he gets much further along, I really hope someone brings up Terri Schiavo. A lot of people who don’t know much about his governorship will remember that, and the behavior of Jeb Bush, the Florida legislature, and the freaking US Congress (and President Bush) was just shameful.

The Bush name is shit but Jeb is better than the name and can turn it around if he campaigns well.

The Clinton name is gold, but Hillary is not better than the name and can destroy it with a bad enough campaign.

That being said, I have no interest in Jeb Bush as President. I’ll vote for him if he gets the nomination, which is more than I can say for some of the GOP candidates, but that’s the limit of my enthusiasm. I also like Clinton just enough to support her over the worst of the GOP candidates.

How will he get through the primaries with his views on immigration and other issues driving away the GOP base.

Romney and McCain were picked in the primary of 12 and 08 because they were the ‘most electable’. Is the GOP going to pick the ‘most electable’ candidate a third time?

THey always do, but first Jeb has to convince them he’s the most electable. Rubio and Paul also have fairly moderate views on immigration and are doing better in general election polling. Both can make the case that they are more electable than Jeb.

I have to say George Pataki is a sane candidate and moderate, so it’s not only Jeb.

I like Pataki a lot, but he’s actually too moderate to win. Shame too, because by all accounts he was a skilled governor and would be a uniting figure if he was President.

Still, couldn’t hurt to choose him as a VP if you want to reach out to moderate voters and be assured that if something happens to the President you have a VP who is ready.

What does that say about your party?

If he’s a uniting figure, how come he couldn’t unite even the Republicans? Is that because it can’t be done, around any principle other than oppositionism? And if he’s so skilled at politics, how come he hasn’t even been in it for over a decade?

Won’t help if the candidate at the top of the ticket is a hostage to its id-driven base, will it?

As self identifyingl Republican, just one who’s not religious or socially conservative…

  • I don’t evaluate by name. His Dad is actually my favorite President of the last 50 years. He doesn’t get points for that…or against him because of his brother.
  • He’s distinctly to the moderate side of the field. (see chart down a ways)
  • It’s early, but he looks like he has a realistic path to the nomination.
  • Flipping the bird to the too dominant socially conservative and authoritarian part of my party as they fail to get “A Real Conservative” nominated yet again… priceless. :smiley:

I wouldn’t say I support him. He’s in my early top three from my side of the aisle - Pataki, Kasich, Bush. I’d put him at three behind the other two. He’s the one with the best shot of pulling the nomination, though.

I am neither a Republican nor a Bush voter, but I think any thinking person should understand why he appeals to some folks. He did a good job as governor of Florida.

[ul]
[li]He cut taxes to among the country’s lowest.[/li][li]He kept spending decently low.[/li][li]He kept the level of state regulations decently low.[/li][li]Because of the previous three things, economic growth was strong during his terms.[/li][li]So was population growth.[/li][li]He introduced charter schools and vouchers, helping thousands of poor children get a better education and dramatically improving the state’s public schools.[/li][li]He eliminated affirmative action in public universities and government contracting.[/li][li]He improved environmental protections for the Everglades and other areas.[/li][li]He killed off an expensive high-speed rail system.[/li][/ul]

What’s not to like?

Every Will Farrell movie is a bad Will Farrell movie, in an odd parallel with every Republican candidate.