Last night I think it was 20/20 or some other such TV news mag ran a feature on Jeb Bush. Pretty much the thing boiled down to the fact that Jeb was the “good son” and Dubya was the “bad son”. Now poor Jeb is left holding the bag in Florida picking up the pieces. Which I had thought of earlier myself. Jeb graduated top of his class, had been in politics longer than big bro and had even attempted to avoid the appearance of having anything to do with the mess in Florida.
I feel a little sorry for Jeb. He does everything right in his career and yet his partying, not so bright brother gets to be Commander and Chief.
Sorry for a Bush brother? F— him.
You’re right about his “attempt to avoid the appearance” of being involved in W.'s victory, the key word there being appearance. His fingerprints are all over it.
African-Americans in FL are still royally pissed at Jeb for killing affirmative action, eventually resulting in his infamous off-the-cuff “Throw - their - asses - out!!” soundbite.
And now this business with his state police setting up checkpoints near black polling places, his released e-mail transcripts revealing his meddlesome ways etc. He is burnt toast in 2002; Bob Butterworth will take him out like stinky garbage.
But I guess he can always move to another Bush state and run for something else, eh? Maine, or Texas.
I was simply wondering why George became the fair haired boy this election and Jeb didn’t? I mean if you’re gonna nominate a Bush boy for president why not nominate the more hardworking, smarter guy?
This is the first I’ve heard of this, so if someone could provide a link, I’d appreciate it. Not knowing the facts, I can’t give an opinion, but in my experience in both Florida and northeastern states, sobriety checkpoints are extremely rare during the hours polling places would be open, and on weekdays. They are usually Friday and Saturday late night operations.
**Yeah, I had to stop driving near polling places on Tuesday afternoons because of all the black drunks driving like maniacs… do I have a good grip on reality?
Oh, and sobriety checkpoints aren’t really “all over the damn place,” are they? Kennebunkport, Maine, for instance, seems to be sobriety checkpoint free…
Conspiracy theories abound! First of all there were supposedly a couple of checkpoints in a predominately black neighborhood during the polling times. Ok, not a good time for this, perhaps a ploy to keep black voters away. Was it orchestrated or mastermined by Jeb Bush? I seriously doubt so.
But perhaps I should clarify my OP a little…I was simply wondering how it happens that you have two brothers one a little on the immature side, not necessarily a hard worker, a man obviously accostomed to floating along through life; the other a little more driven, career minded, ambitious, and with a clearly better “work ethic”…and the seemingly less capable or worthy of the two is practically handed the keys to the kingdom. Could it possibly be true that the Republicans are that sneaky to put a puppet president on the throne? Someone who can be controlled and better serve some long tern adgenda. Is this possibly the reason that John McCain was not nominated, because he cannot be controlled? Now that I’ve learned a little about Jeb Bush I’m just wondering why it didn’t appear he was even considered for this nomination. Where in the hell did the Repubs get Bush #2? Why not Bush #3 who is obviously a little better equipped to do the job? Is it because Jeb is a tight ass more like Gore than his brother? Was it decided that in order to best serve the “compassionate conservative” line the Bush should be a little more of a fuck up to make this new Republican buzz phrase look more sincere?
Seems like the more I learn about politics the more I get confused…well not confused disgusted. Why should a barely functioning guy like George Bush get to be president, just by virtue of the fact that he comes from a political family? It’s as though he went into politics as an afterthough or perhaps out of boredom. You can say what you want about career politicians but I’m thinking that many of these guys would better serve their own careers and long term financial goals by going out and becoming investment bankers or high powered lawyers. Certainly some of these people do not have to make politics their life’s career. Certainly they could be just as successful at some other work. I don’t think I distrust career politicans as much anymore as I did before. Especially not today when everything they do, say or even dream in their sleep is subject to scrutiny. I just don’t understand how and why so many people rallied around this Bush when there were much better men in Republican party to do this job.
The primary reason Jeb Bush was not seriously considered for the nomination is he is a one term governor and at the time when the election season had started had been governor for about one year. George W on the other hand had just become the first sitting Governor in texas history to be re-elected. He beat his opponent by something like 20% and was even endorsed by the godfather of his opponent’s child. His first term was filled with accomplishments on tax cuts and tort reforms and the educational system in Texas was improving. His track record at winning Black and Hispanic voters was the envy of every Republican in the nation. Contrast this with Jeb who had lost his first try for Governor and had narrowly won victory the year before the nomination process had started. If you take all this into account the question of which is the better candidate for president is fairly obvious. The fact that George W won the presidential election seems to suggest they picked the correct one.
About the checkpoint in Florida, it was not a sobriety checkpoint, they were checking for seatbelt, registration and other non-moving violations.
not that I disbelieve, but I’d still like to see a link, all I ever saw was that there were checkpoints, IDS were checked. (no, I don’t think Jeb called down to the local Bubba, but unless there’s been a record of such things happening on election night or on Tuesdays or whatever, I think it’s one of those things that won’t bear a whole lot of scrutiny)
On CNN yesterday they said that he had 33% of the Texas Hispanic vote, but only 8% of the vote from Black Texans. I believe that they were referring to his re-election as Texas Governor at the time, but they may have been referring to the presidential race.
Thank you Puddle that answers my question a little better than …“why do you feel sorry for Jeb Bush”. Which of course I don’t.
So he was “electable” is that it? Jeez! Now I am disgusted with the process. Sounds a little like Hollywood doesn’t it? (not a Reagan reference but perhaps it should be)? You know the story…a great script comes out…the director wants this lesser known but highly talented guy to play the leading man…but the studio says “No, he’s not bankable”…He may not even be right for the role…the film is made and sucks a big egg! Or it runs and makes a fortune because the public has been swayed by all the promos and marketing.
Oh yeah and by the way…how much truth to the idea that the elder Bush brother isn’t responsible for jack shit in Texas because that state does not give the govenor much power at all, he is more or less a figurehead?
I think its because people want a president that basically promises to do nothing.
Besides both of them were equally known. Jeb is now only the lesser known of the 2. Before unless you lived in texas or florida you wouldent have known either.
“Oh yeah and by the way…how much truth to the idea that the elder Bush brother isn’t responsible for jack shit in Texas because that state does not give the govenor much power at all, he is more or less a figurehead?”
I really doubt thats true as if that was so youd think that they would relect the same guy repeatedly and have less of a contested election.
There’s a lot more to becoming president than just being the ‘best’ guy running. For a Republican to win the presidency he has to please the right, the center, and the undecided middle.
But to win the nomination in the primary system, they have to please the base of the party. That means you don’t win the nomination without the religious right, as John McCain found out.
Then once you’re the nominee, there’s another factor - how you’ll fare in the electoral college. That means a popular guy from a big state like Texas, who is guaranteed to bring home some major votes, is favored over a great man from Podunk Iowa. This also heavily influences the selection of a running mate. Lots of Vice Presidents wound up in the position for no other reason than that they could bring in their home state in the Electoral College.
I seem to recall that Jeb Bush was an early contender, but was disfavored for some specific reason - is he pro-choice? Anyway, George Bush had a big advantage over other condenders in the primaries in that he was almost guaranteed to bring home Texas (and they thought) Florida.
