Coop's Corner
February 1, 2010 9:19 AM

Bush for President in 2012?

By
Charles Cooper
Topics
In The News
(AP)
It's never to soon to speculate about who the Republicans might run against Barack Obama in 2012. I missed this weekend piece in the Miami Herald about Jeb Bush's reappearance on the political scene. It's worth a close read - especially this section:

"..in recent months, as the Republican Party of Florida has grappled with a leadership vacuum, Bush's political profile has grown as fast as the national deficit.

He headlined a fundraiser for Bill McCollum's gubernatorial campaign, starred in a YouTube video touting Jeff Atwater's campaign for state chief financial officer and helped install state Sen. John Thrasher as the state party's heir apparent -- all the while looming on the sidelines of the fierce Republican Senate primary between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio.

The capper came Thursday when, at the top of the 7 o'clock hour, right after Vice President Joe Biden, Bush made a rare network television appearance on NBC's Today Show. The intensely private Bush's interview with the overly familiar Matt Lauer rattled Florida political circles.
Was this the beginning of a Jeb juggernaut that would culminate in a 2012 presidential bid?

Does Jeb want to become 2012 Republican presidential nomineee? By now, the electorate may have had its fill of political dynasties, but there's still no clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Sarah Palin? The Tea Party crowd may adore her but a run by would they be able to match the financial and organizational strength that a run by yet a third member of the Bush family would summon? Let's hear what you have to say about that in the Talkback section below.

  • Charles Cooper is an executive editor at CNET News. He has covered technology and business for more than 25 years, working at CBSNews.com, the Associated Press, Computer & Software News, Computer Shopper, PC Week, and ZDNet. E-mail Charlie.

Add a Comment See all 35 Comments
by deast1115 November 23, 2010 7:39 PM EST
Jeb Bush would make a fine president. He did an excellent job in Florida, and I have wished for a long time, that he would run for President of the United States. My whole family would vote for him. Fla,Tenn, Ohio, Calif. So Carolina.
He would certainly get us out of the mess we are in with the Obama spending and socialisim.
GO GO JEB BUSH. HE IS HIS OWN MAN.
Reply to this comment
by lawandorderfan February 7, 2010 9:39 AM EST
Jeb was a louy governor of Florida. Of course he is pro busoiness. He's also anti-labor. His outsourcing of government business to private companies resulted in much poorer service to the people of Florida.
Reply to this comment
by atiboy1 July 6, 2010 6:28 PM EDT
By your spelling, I can tell you have no clue about the job Jeb Bush did. Bush (correctly) saw the need for Florida's diversification and indeed turned to promoting multiple kinds of new business. His coup with luring
Scripp's and other medical research companies from CA was huge for Florida's future growth. You didn't
hear one peep about Florida in the national media during the four back-to-back hurricanes that hit Florida
because they were managed so effectively. The Everglades preservation was a masterpiece. His school reform's even please the black community who elected to go to college. He would make an excellent President and should take Petreaus as his VP.
by manter645 February 7, 2010 12:30 AM EST
Anyone would be better than Obama. Jeb Bush was an excellent Governor of Florida and I always thought he would make a good President.

Jeb Bush isn't George Bush, but if decides to run people will see that for themselves. He would be a very strong pro business, jobs oriented President.
Reply to this comment
by JerichoHW February 4, 2010 7:06 PM EST
Jeb should run and beat Obama easily.
Reply to this comment
by OldProfessor February 3, 2010 2:34 PM EST
I have to admit that Jeb Bush is better qualified than any other Republican that is being currently considered. I don't think he has a chance but please put him up.
Reply to this comment
by newsworthy8 February 3, 2010 11:14 AM EST
I like the mass confusion of the Republicans, I mean all of the top dogs..it's great for the Democrat Party. If most people would read some of these stories I am sure they would switch parties or support.
Reply to this comment
by manter645 February 7, 2010 12:38 AM EST
You are joking, right? The Democrats are running in all directions like a Chinese fire drill. It's pathetic watching their ineptitude. Painful.
You make me laugh, NJ, VA, MA, and now Obama's old seat in IL will probably go to a Republican. People are sick of the Demotards.
by Freedomforever88 February 2, 2010 8:01 PM EST
There are plenty of Americans. Can we get our Presidents from the private sector and not from a list the same ruling class. This goes for both rep and dems. No more Bush's, No more Reids, No more Bidens, No more Clintons, No more Kennedys, etc. Vote out all incumbents and their conections to big bus, big labor and big govt.
Reply to this comment
by cidaia February 2, 2010 8:31 PM EST
no because if someone came up from outside the narrow ruling elite, she'd be called white trash and framed as stupid.
by CBSisCommunist5 February 2, 2010 12:50 AM EST
I am a republiacn/conservative, but NO MORE BUSH presidents...please
Reply to this comment
by zebra8835 February 1, 2010 11:53 PM EST
The third time is the charm, is that it? The GOP running another bush would be like the Charlie Brown comic strip where Lucy holds the football and jerks it away just before the kick. Does the GOP believe the public could be fooled again or just dumber than Charlie Brown? Probably the latter.
Reply to this comment
by newsworthy8 February 1, 2010 7:30 PM EST
Oh man, Jeb Bush..probably a nice person, like George Jr, and Senior, but please America come to your senses one time and forget about Jeb.
There is one thing I would say, (I am a Democrat), he is the best choice for all you Elephants, over Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Palin, O'Reilly, Gingrich, Boehner, Brown, and the list goes on..I am grasping for air over this...just about choking...
Bottom line this is your problem Republicans..make good decisions, not hasty decisions..
So much more, but please lets drop Jeb, lets take the time and effort to work together as country and for God's sake support our President, but not always agreeing but voice in a Democratic way..
Most people in America do not know what socialism is, they hear all this crap from senior politicians. I don't totally agree with socialism, but I agree with everyone being able to have medical insurance. For your information, example Canada they have a great medical program, not the best, but everyone is covered thru funding by increased taxes in areas deemable, like oil companies, mining companies where the resource removed from Canadian soil basically belongs to Canadians, so people share the resource..okay. Europe the same in many ways. In Sweden if students excell they are eligable for a "FREE" university education.
Not bad EY...
Reply to this comment
by manter645 February 7, 2010 12:35 AM EST
Obama sucks, no one with any brains wants to see him re elected. Get over it.
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