The Case for Jeb Bush Running for President in 2016
It is never too early to talk about the 2016
presidential election, especially during
moments like these where the U.S. has a
void in its presidential leadership. Former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton started
tweeting this week. New Jersey Republican
Governor Chris Christie continues his cozy
relationship with President Obama.
Senators Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Marco
Rubio, R-Fla., are the hot young tickets in
the early primary states.
The stakes are high, and the Republican
Party is worried about losing a third
consecutive election. However, maybe the
answer to recruiting a national leader is
right in front of us.
This week, I had the opportunity to work
with Governor Jeb Bush in Washington,
D.C. Jon Karl at ABC News interviewed the
governor for a Father's Day special that
will air on Sunday, June 16th. Bush spoke
with Jon about the Barbara Bush
Foundation for Family Literacy,
immigration reform and about his dad,
President George H.W. Bush, who just
turned 89 years old.
[Read the U.S. News Debate: Is the GOP's
Problem in its Strategies or its Policies? ]
While I was in the room, it just hit me. If
only the American people could witness
what we saw. He spoke from the heart
about the lessons he learned from his
father. He read excerpts from his dad's
book, "All the Best, George Bush: My Life
in Letters and Other Writings." At
moments, he was emotional and explained
how his father taught his children about
the importance of public service and
humility in leadership. Governor Bush was
inspirational and driven with a sense of
purpose where he knows that he has so
much to give and lead our country.
In moments like these where Washington
seems so divided and toxic, filled with
scandals and chaos, Bush provides a sense
of calm and clarity. During the interview,
he explained how our leaders could
achieve more with greater humility and
stressed the importance of building
successful coalitions. He shared that in
today's world of self-centeredness the job
of leader is to rise above himself/herself
and focus on serving others.
Bush also addressed the illiteracy crisis in
a country where over 35 million adults are
unable to read or write, and how his
mom's foundation is implementing
programs nationwide to help adults and
children become literate.
[See a photo gallery of George W. Bush's
legacy .]
He also talked about immigration reform
and the importance of Republicans working
with Democrats, being part of the
conversation and providing the solution to
modernize our immigration system and
address illegal immigration. As U.S. News
&World Report managing editor Robert
Schlesinger reported in his most recent
article, Governor Jeb Bush provided a
"pretty good talking points blueprint of
how to address conservative concerns"
during a Bipartisan Policy Center event.
His ability to delve into complex policies
and find workable solutions is the type of
leadership we desperately need in
Washington.
As with every great politician, Bush
connects on the personal level with those
he meets. Before the interview, a
Hispanic hotel worker entered the room
and the governor engaged the staff
member in Spanish and made the worker
feel as if he was the most important
person in the room. The governor's more
than six foot presence was not
intimidating, but instead warm and
welcoming.
