Redstate

A President By Any Other Name . . .

By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Featured Stories | Republicans — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Deny thy brother and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my Presidential candidate and I will no longer be dilly-dallying about which contender I should support in 2008 (read on):

At a time when the conservative movement is looking bereft, humbled by midterm-election defeats and hungering for a presidential candidate to rally around, Jeb Bush delivered yesterday in Washington a resounding endorsement of conservative principles, bringing his audience repeatedly to its feet.

In his lunchtime remarks to the Conservative Summit, Bush struck every conservative chord, blaming Republicans' defeat in November on the party's abandonment of tenets including limited government and fiscal restraint.

"Don't take offense personally if I get mad at Congress," the Republican former Florida governor began. "It's important for us to realize we lost, and there are significant reasons that happened, but it isn't because conservatives were rejected. But it's because we rejected the conservative philosophy in this country."

He added, "If the promise of pork and more programs is the way Republicans think they'll regain the majority, then they've got a problem."

Bush's speech prompted three standing ovations from the audience of hundreds at the National Review Institute's conference at the JW Marriott Hotel, reflecting the widespread concern among conservatives that exorbitant government spending led to the loss of majorities in the House and Senate and concern about whether Republicans would again embrace the traditional principles.

To Ed Gillespie, a prominent lobbyist and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, Bush's two terms in Tallahassee -- where he developed a reputation as a tax-cutter and staunch spending hawk -- exemplified conservative politics at its best, and what makes for a compelling presidential candidate.

"For those who are worried if you can put forward a vigorous conservative policy agenda in a state like Florida and still get elected and still be popular: Our keynote speaker left office with approval ratings above 60 percent," Gillespie said.

"If he were former two-term governor Jeb Smith, he might be in Des Moines today," Gillespie said, alluding to presidential hopefuls' campaigning.

This is, of course, immensely frustrating. An eloquent and principled spokesman for small-government is forced to shunt himself aside because of the fact that his name is "Bush" and the incumbent President is his brother and is suffering through horrendously low approval ratings. The tragedy of the situation is that if Jeb Bush were President, his supporters likely wouldn't find as many reasons to be outraged and disappointed by the philosophical stances his Administration would take.

We wouldn't have to suffer through the indignity of watching a Republican President dramatically increase the size of government past Johnsonian levels. We wouldn't see inconstant support of free trade and free markets, with only limited rhetorical support--at best--for each. We wouldn't see an Administration profess little if any interest in pushing for school choice or eminent domain reform. Jeb Bush doesn't need cue cards to give a powerful speech in favor of free markets and small government. His principles come naturally to him, after all.

I suppose it is possible that the next Republican Presidential nominee might choose Governor Bush as his running mate. But if the President's poll numbers continue to tank, I have a hard time believing that the next Republican Presidential nominee will want to choose the brother of the President Republicans will be running away from to save their own skins in 2008. All of which means that for Jeb Bush to eventually become President and to fulfill the promise that so many see in him, Republicans may need to lose the 2008 elections.

Either that, or someone from the current uninspiring group of Republicans seeking the nomination will succeed to the Presidency. And likely get tossed out on his ear in 2012--after a divisive primary challenge, no doubt.

I suppose things could be worse for Republicans. And that's what frightens me; it's only 2007, after all.