What\’s a Floridian to do? Come to think of it, what are the rest of us to do?
Jeb Bush, the states former 2-term Governor and Marco Rubio – its former Speaker of the State House and current U. S. Senator, may both declare they will seek the Republican nomination for President.
There will be a lot written about both men – most of it negative, given the blatant partisanship of our mainstream media (thank you again, Senator Rand Paul, for not tolerating it this week). In fact, there already has been a lot written.
But for my readers, I\’m going to keep things simple for the moment, and list out a short compendium of the good, the bad and the ugly about both men.
Bush: 62 years old, successful businessman, popular two-time Governor of a key swing state, generally conservative but with very liberal policies toward immigration, fiscal conservative, very strong record on education, Married (to a Mexican national) with four children, former Episcopalian who converted to Catholicism, gets more Black votes and far more Latino votes than most Republicans. Biggest obstacles are that a good many Republicans see him as too liberal. The Bush name can both help him (legacy) and hurt him (criticism of his brother, and Bush fatigue).
Rubio: 44 years old, Cuban ancestry, lawyer with most of his post-educational life in politics, former City Commissioner of West Miami, then State Representative, then Speaker of the State House, now U. S. Senator. Staunch conservative with the notable exception of immigration reform. Married (to a Colombian national) with four children, attends both Catholic and Baptist churches. Likely to do better among Latinos than most Republicans. Has some questionable issues concerning his original claims about his family\’s “escape” from Cuba and possibly some use of compaign funds for personal reasons (which he denies, but paid back the amount in question).
Summary: Bush has a far better resume for the presidency and, given his more moderate stances on social issues, is likely to attract more centrist votes. Though the Bush name probably hurts him more than helps him, if you are looking for someone who is ready and qualified for the Presidency, with a broader base of support, he is far ahead of Rubio.
If, however, you like your conservatism (mostly) pure, and want a younger, more dynamic choice, Rubio is probably more for you than Bush.
To be continued…..
