Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., might want to note how his father did in his bids for the Republican presidential nomination in 1980 and 1992 and contrast that with his brothers 2000 campaign as he ponders whether to run in 2016.
Speaking at the Wall Street Journals CEO Council in Washington, D.C., on Monday night, Bush promised a decision soon on whether he would run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 -- and insisted he would run on his own terms.
According to the New York Times, Bush said he was willing to stick to his guns and risk losing the primary to win the general, without violating your principles. That includes being more uplifting, much more positive, much more willing to be practical instead of telling conservatives what they want to hear.
While the New York Times stressed that Bush said he wont pander" to conservatives, the right does have a testy relationship with the former Florida governor. In recent months, Bush has drawn fire from conservatives for his support of Common Core and immigration reform, including being critical of Arizonas immigration law.
Bush should look at how his father did in some of his presidential bids. George H.W. Bush tried to claim the center in 1980 when he duked it out with Ronald Reagan for the Republican presidential nomination. The elder Bush even hit Reagans economic policies as voodoo economics. While the elder Bush upset Reagan in the Iowa caucus, he and other centrist critics -- namely longtime U.S. Rep. John Anderson, R-Ill., were left in the Gippers dust.
After eight years as Reagans vice president, George Bush bounced back and won the Republican presidential nomination, despite the opposition of conservatives like former Gov. Pete duPont, R-Del., Pat Robertson and then U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y. But, four years after he said read my lips, no new taxes, conservatives went after George Bush for breaking that promise. Pat Buchanan did surprisingly well against Bush in the 1992 New Hampshire primary, the worst primary showing an incumbent Republican president had seen in decades.
Since 1964, when Barry Goldwater beat Nelson Rockefeller, Republican presidential candidates fail badly when they draw the ire of conservatives. Bush and Anderson found that out in 1980. So did then-U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in his underwhelming bid for the Republican nod back in 1996. More recently, former Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah, failed to gain much traction in 2012.
Instead of vowing not to pander to conservatives and following his fathers 1980 strategy, Jeb Bush should look to another member of his family: George W. Bush. While conservatives might not want to admit it now, George W. Bush was the great right hope in 2000. He ran over conservatives like Alan Keyes and Gary Bauer, chased Buchanan out of the GOP and was the right-of-center champion who held off U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in the primaries.
Conservatives will never be as comfortable with Jeb Bush as they were with his brother. But the former Florida governor would be ill-advised to continue feuding with them. As recent nominees like McCain, former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., even the first Bush, show, conservatives can make peace with a more centrist Republican presidential candidate. But they will not forgive a candidate who vows to stand against them.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
