The 2016 election is closer than you think

Jeb Bush ‘moving forward’ on 2016 White House run

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is “moving forward” on a potential 2016 White House run and it appears more likely he will enter the Republican field, according to his son, who’s running for office in Texas.

George P. Bush told ABC’s “This Week” that his father is “still assessing” a presidential bid, but suggested it was more likely that he would seek the White House this time. The ex-governor declined to run for president in 2012 despite encouragement from Republicans.

“I think it’s more than likely that he’s giving this a serious thought and moving — and moving forward,” said the younger Bush, who is running for Texas land commissioner.

Asked if that meant it was “more than likely that he’ll run,” George P. Bush responded: “That he’ll run. If you had asked me a few years back … I would have said it was less likely.” SOURCE

I voted for, and supported Bush 41, I also voted for Bush 43, twice, but I had a lot of trouble convincing myself to do so, I held my nose and hit the button for the good of the nation.

When John McCain ran for POTUS I supported and voted for him even though I don’t much like him and had no use for his running mate, but I voted for what I thought was the best of the ticket and I voted to support the Party.

When Mitt Romney ran I again supported and voted for a candidate that I didn’t like in order to support the GOP and hopefully save the nation from the evil of the Democrats and Barack Hussein Obama.

As for me, I can’t support Jeb Bush, if he runs in the primaries I hope he gets his ass handed to him.

John McCain, Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush, is this all the GOP has? Of course I realize that any of them would be infinitely better at running the nation than Hillary Clinton, but seriously, is this ALL the GOP has to offer? Are these gentlemen the cream of the crop, the best and brightest that the GOP can field?

Jeb Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush and the son of former President George H.W. Bush, would stand out in what could be a crowded Republican field in 2016.

A crowded GOP ticket for the primaries? Yes, I think it will be.

Here is a look at some predictions from Business Insider.

10. Mike Pence (previously 10): The Indiana governor is making just enough noise to stay on the list, keeping his vice presidential chances very much alive. Pence appeals to all wings of the party — no easy feat.

9. Scott Walker (previously 2): The Wisconsin governor was the insiders’ pick last winter; now he’s in a close fight to win re-election this fall. It’s hard to see a hanging offense amid all the allegations about his fundraising — The New York Times was particularly outrageous in its treatment of him — but politics ain’t always fair, and Walker’s halo has slipped.

8. Rick Santorum (previously 3): The biggest surprise of the 2012 campaign (he won eleven primaries), Santorum probably will run again with enthusiastic backing from the religious right. He’s been AWOL lately, but if Santorum wins Iowa, he could stay in the race for a very long time.

7: Paul Ryan: He wasn’t on our Top Ten list in May, and he could be No. 1 or 2 by next summer. For now, we think Ryan is determined to polish his resume by passing tax reform next year; if a bill is through the House by summer, speculation about a presidential bid will intensify. The irony: Ryan deserves respect as the GOP “ideas guy,” but many of his ideas poll poorly.

6. Chris Christie (previously 6): He’s spending a fortune on lawyers, and a suspicion persists that more dirt will come out, but the feisty New Jersey governor is still a major player. Christie could win 270 electoral votes, and not everyone on this list can claim that. Is Christie running? Oh yeah.

5. Mitt Romney: (previously 9): We’re not kidding, listing Romney this high. If no one has emerged from the pack a year from now, the pressure on Romney will be enormous. Like most politicians, Romney lives in an adoring echo chamber; everyone tells him he’d be a great president and could win this time — and his disavowals haven’t exactly been Shermanesque, have they?

4. Ted Cruz (previously 8): The base loves this guy, maybe even more than the base loves Rand Paul. Most Republicans in Washington loathe Cruz, which actually may be an attribute. We rarely pass on an opportunity to joke about his Canadian birth, but that will not deter Cruz — he’s running and he’s a serious candidate. Minor problem: if he’s on the ticket, the GOP won’t win more than a dozen states.

3. Rand Paul (previously 4): He’s an eye surgeon who happens to be a politician who can electrify young people at Berkeley or African-Americans at the Urban League. Many of his positions, especially regarding Israel, need work, and he has a long paper trail that will be used against him. But in an era that hates politicians, Paul doesn’t always act like one, which is a major part of his appeal.

2. Marco Rubio: (previously 1): He’s a difficult candidate to handicap. Insiders are down on Rubio because of his flip-flopping on immigration, but around the country his narrative resonates with middle-class voters. Reporters say he seems jittery and cotton-mouthed in major speeches; plus there’s the “gravitas factor,” and the jury is still out on that. We could envision Rubio in the final three — or blowing out early.

1. Jeb Bush: (previously 3): We hate succumbing to the consensus, but he’s the favorite — if he wants the nomination. We think Jeb hasn’t decided yet; there are family concerns and strong differences with the GOP base on key issues. But the base wants a winner, and this is a talented and intelligent politician who could give Hillary Clinton a tougher challenge than any of the others on this list.

The race for 2016 has already begun and will fire up in earnest along about November 5th as soon as the 2014 result are announced.

It’s far too early for me to make a pick and declare support, the above list isn’t *set*, I am certain it’s subject to change, but one fact remains; if the GOP leadership doesn’t offer up the very best that they have to offer they will be placing the nation in grave danger.