Another Bush in the White House?

Boy that would piss off the Left. But apparently, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has publicly taken himself out of the running. And much of the political punditry can't get their heads around the idea that the voters would elect another man named Bush because they will either have Bush-fatigue or they are too deeply suspicious of dynasties. I admit I've accepted this conventional wisdom pretty easily.

However, Brent Miniter of OpinionJournal.com argues against this thinking. He points out that George W. climbed a steep hill to overcome the legacy of his father's defeat for reelection in 1992 - running on ideas that won over voters. Like his brother, Jeb has been building an "antitax bedrock conservative record" since 1998. The younger Bush could seize the mantle of Social Security reform now that his brother has succeeded in finally making the issue debatable. And of course, everything would depend on how popular the Bush name is three years from now. As Miniter explains:

Perhaps the most compelling reason why Jeb Bush shouldn't be written off just yet came Friday with the Labor Department's latest jobs numbers. With some 200,000 net new jobs created in July and some 3.5 million new jobs over the past two years, it's getting harder to deny we are now in the midst of a Bush boom. John Kerry's claims of a jobless recovery notwithstanding, every job lost after the dot-com crash and the 9/11 attacks has long since been replaced. True, the housing market may yet tumble. But the Fed keeps raising interest rates out of fear the economy will get too hot, not too cold. If we get three more years of solid economic expansion, voters may decide that keeping a Bush in the White House is good for their wallets. After all, the Bush tax cuts are now set to expire in the middle of the next president's first term.

I still remain skeptical, however, there is one other condition that might make Jeb Bush a stronger candidate in 2008 - Hillary. Imagine if the country is forced to choose between another Bush and another Clinton. I think in this case the result would definitely favor the Florida Governor.

Posted by: Gary at 07:40 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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