Haley endorsement didn’t help Romney

By Lynn R. Mitchell

In 2012 South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for the SC primary. Romney lost by 11 points to Newt Gingrich. Today she endorsed Marco Rubio. ‘Nuff said.

Mentor Jeb Bush takes challenge by mentee Rubio in stride

Jeb Bush talked with Alex Davis in Bristol, Va., in September.

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Jeb Bush has been described by the Wall Street Journal as “the most qualified candidate to be president. For all the ‘establishment’ criticism, any fair reading of his eight years in office shows it would be hard to design a more successful conservative governorship — lower taxes, limited spending, Medicaid reform, landmark school-choice initiatives. He left office in 2007 with a 60% approval rating.”

One thing he was known for while governor was personally responding to citizens’ emails, thus earning the title “eGovernor.”

After spending years building the Republican party in Florida, serving two terms as a  hands-on governor who responded to emails, and who took a young fledgling politician named Marco Rubio under his wing only to see him become an opponent in the 2016 presidential race, Bush continues on the campaign trail.

Flashback: 2016 presidential candidates Rubio, Paul, Cruz were behind 2013 government shutdown

By Lynn R. Mitchell

[Editor’s note: A look back at a post I wrote in 2013….]

New York Times Op-Ed columnist Gail Collins does not mince words:

Right now, the show horses of the United States Senate are Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida. All preparing for a 2016 presidential bid. All making visits to Iowa. They’re the new faces of the Republican Party. Really, really new. The three of them have an average age of 45 and an average tenure in Washington of 1.9 years.

Whatever happened to learning one job before moving to the next step?

Not so fast on counting Jeb Bush out of 2016 – UPDATE: Jeb endorsed by Rubio’s former chief-of staff, newspaper doubles down

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Not so fast on the calls for Governor Jeb Bush to step aside for 2016. He’s not going anywhere especially since many of those calls came after the former Florida governor had a whopping four minutes and fifty-eight seconds to present his case to voters during a dysfunctional, chaotic CNBC two-hour event that they tried to bill as a debate.

None of the candidates had much time to express anything serious; Governor Bush had the least:

Debate clock:
Rubio: 8:44
Fiorina: 8:37
Kasich: 8:06
Trump: 7:44
Cruz: 6:52
Christie: 6:30
Huckabee: 5:47
Carson: 5:28
Paul: 5:03
Bush: 4:56

One call for Jeb to drop out came from a young fellow blogger who bemoaned the fact that Jeb talked about “boring policy positions.” Interesting … because that’s what Washington is all about. Maybe that’s why the young blogger’s chosen candidate, Marco Rubio, doesn’t like being in the U.S. Senate. Too boring. After all, understanding policy discussions is perhaps what separates the adults from the children in D.C.

For a little perspective, Jeb’s brother faced similar doubts sixteen years ago, and then lost Iowa and New Hampshire. We all know how that turned out.

Jeb Bush endorsed by former Rubio chief-of-staff

By Lynn R. Mitchell

News is spreading throughout Florida this morning that Marco Rubio’s former chief of staff has endorsed — and will be campaigning with — Jeb Bush (see Richard Corcoran, former Marco Rubio chief of staff, endorses Jeb Bush for president):

When Jeb Bush campaigns through the Sunshine State on Monday he will be joined by a powerful Florida politician many will be surprised to see at his side.

Richard Corcoran, the Florida House Speaker Designate and former chief of staff to then-House Speaker Marco Rubio, is endorsing Bush’s bid for the White House.

“I have known Jeb Bush for over 20 years,” Corcoran says in a release sent to FloridaPolitics.com and POLITICO. “As Governor, Jeb Bush set the standard against which all other conservatives in this state are measured – no one in Florida would argue that. Jeb Bush always stepped up and was true to his principles, even if that meant facing difficult consequences. I saw him in moments when it would have been easy to cave to the special interests and just go along with the status quo; yet he never did.”

This endorsement is hugely significant. Not only does Corcoran solidly endorse Jeb, calling him, “without question, the most courageous, conservative in this race,” but he goes on to add, “That’s what I want in a leader, and what I know the electorate deserves. When the people of this country get to know the Jeb Bush that I know, they will have no doubt that he is the right choice to become the next President of the United States.”

Virginia Hispanic leaders confront RNC’s Priebus

By Daniel P. Cortez

With Hispanic Heritage Month in full swing, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus wisely met with three dozen of Virginia’s leading Hispanic activists and business entrepreneurs in Northern Virginia Wednesday.

Those attending made up a who’s who of the Latino community gathering at the El Paso restaurant in Alexandria.  My Texas roots appreciated the location and the RNC private invitation.  Finally, it appears the GOP recognizes that the majority of Hispanic voters or any other nationality are like me, not registered party members.

Opinion: Rubio scored cheap points at Boehner’s expense

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Donald Trump is the only Republican presidential candidate I have written against. Until now.

This pandering from Marco Rubio, who rushed to be the first to tell an anti-Boehner crowd that the Speaker had announced his resignation, resulting in cheers and celebrating, did not sit well with me:

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) got a standing ovation when he broke the news House Speaker John Boehner’s resignation to the packed ballroom at the 2015 Values Voter Summit in Washington.

“Just a few moments ago, Speaker Boehner announced he is resigning,” Rubio started, and before he could finish the sentence, the ballroom erupted.

It’s sad to see one Republican score political points in this way at the expense of another Republican.

UPDATE #1: So I wasn’t the only one who felt that Marco Rubio’s cheap shot at Speaker Boehner was out of place (see Boehner allies furious at Rubio’s unprovoked shot at his resignation):

The first shot fired against US House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), in the wake of the stunning announcement of his resignation Friday, did not come from Donald Trump. It did not come from a presidential candidate outside Washington.

Rather, it came from US Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida). The presidential candidate and freshman senator, minutes after news leaked from the House Republican conference meeting, told a crowd at the Values Voter Summit in Washington that Boehner was resigning.

They cheered the news, and despite saying he was not there to “bash anyone,” many Boehner allies thought Rubio did just that with his next comment.

“The time has come to turn the page,” he said. “The time has come to turn the page and allow a new generation of leadership in this country.”

I suppose that was Rubio’s “not-bashing-anyone” kind of way of saying, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Not classy.

UPDATE #2: From The Hill: Furious Boehner allies lash out:

Boehner repeatedly saw conservatives vote against the GOP rules governing debate on legislation. Those votes are supposed to be tests of party loyalty.

[His allies] also argue Boehner repeatedly bent to conservative critics on spending issues, only to see them stab him in the back.

Kids get time-out for conduct Trump thinks will win him the White House

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Like a petulant spoiled child who expects to constantly be in the spotlight, Donald Trump has gotten on this mom’s last nerve. After my many years of working with children, he is a reminder that there is always that one.

There is always the kid who disrupts the class, bullies the others, and dominates on the playground with his fist and name-calling. For those children who misbehave, there is the time-out chair — that isolated corner where wayward children sit and think about what they have done.

If Donald Trump were a child, he would have been put in the time-out chair.

Jeb again leads Rubio in latest Florida poll

By Lynn R. Mitchell

There is more good news for the Jeb Bush camp today as the latest poll in his home state shows he has a commanding lead over fellow Floridian Marco Rubio (see Florida poll: Jeb Bush takes big lead over Marco Rubio by Marc Caputo in Politico):

Jeb Bush holds a commanding lead over Sen. Marco Rubio among registered Florida Republicans, who have soured on the senator since he announced his presidential bid in April, a new poll shows.

In the crowded GOP field, Bush leads the second-place Rubio 28 to 16 percent in their home state, according to Mason Dixon Polling & Research’s survey. In Mason-Dixon’s poll three months ago, Rubio was essentially tied with Bush 31 to 30 percent.

Jeb continues to lead GOP in CNN/ORC 2016 presidential poll

By Lynn R. Mitchell

CNN reported in their latest 2016 presidential poll that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush continues to lead in the ever-expanding field of Republican candidates:

Bush stands at 19%, up from 13% in May — and his best showing in CNN/ORC polling since December. Trump follows at 12%, up from 3% before his announcement. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (8%), neurosurgeon Ben Carson (7%) and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (7%) round out the top five.

Notably absent from this top five — though statistically speaking not far behind — are Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (6%, down from 14% in May) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (6%, down slightly from 10%). Both had been top five candidates in each of the last two CNN/ORC polls, and Walker had been in the top five since February.

The poll, conducted just before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie formally launched his campaign with a rally in Livingston, New Jersey, on Tuesday, also finds that Christie begins his push for the presidency with just 3% support.

The findings suggest Bush is making progress toward being seen as the frontrunner in a field that has long lacked a clear leader. He holds a significant lead over the second-place candidate Trump, is seen as the candidate who could best handle illegal immigration and social issues, and runs about even with Trump and well ahead of the other candidates when Republicans are asked which candidate can best handle the economy.

Trump continues to face fallout due to his negative immigration comments about the Mexican-American/Hispanic community while announcing his candidacy for president. Macy’s, NBC, Univision, and others are severing ties with the real estate mogul and billionaire businessman.

Hillary continues to lead the Democratic field.

‘Here’s how Jeb will run against Marco Rubio’

By Lynn R. Mitchell

It was fully expected by many that Florida Senator Marco Rubio would not seek the Republican nomination for President in 2016 if his mentor and former Governor Jeb Bush, 62, ran. It was hoped that Rubio, 43, would seek reelection to the U.S. Senate but he decided not to wait, a puzzling fact to fellow Floridians whose loyalties go to one candidate or the other.

It appears that Jeb, who basically built the Republican Party in Florida before winning the gubernatorial election that he held for two terms, is winning over most of the political class in the state he calls home. With his mentee in the race, who benefited much from his guidance and connections, some are looking at Jeb’s tactics in how he will run against Rubio (see Here’s how Jeb will run against Marco Rubio by political reporter David Catanese in U.S.  News and World Report).

CNN Poll: Jeb leaps in front as candidate with ‘right experience to be president’

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Jeb Bush is at the top of the latest CNN 2016 presidential poll — and brace yourselves because there will be a gazillion more between now and November 2016 — but a couple of things jumped out.

Here are the candidate rankings that have Jeb at the top with Walker five points behind:

Jennifer Rubin looks at GOP candidates: ‘They’re off! (for 2016)’

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Pragmatic conservative writer Jennifer Rubin took a look Monday in the Washington Post at the Republican candidates lining up for a run at the 2016 presidential race. In her Right Turn blog post titled ‘They’re off! (for 2016),’ Rubin comments on the GOP field.

In a nod to the strength of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s exploration and sure entry into the contest, Rubin notes, “The race has and will continue to be a contest between Bush and the most electable not-Bush candidate.”

Here are some of Rubin’s observations from her post:

Florida may have to decide between Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio

By Lynn R. Mitchell

With Florida Senator Marco Rubio set to announce today that he is running for U.S. President, it is worth looking at how Republicans in Florida feel about their former Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Rubio getting into the same race. While many would like to see Rubio run for re-election in the senate, if both end up in the presidential race it will mean Floridians must decide between them.

Jeb is 62 years old. Rubio is 43. Jeb mentored Rubio. Some think Rubio needs to get a little more experience under his belt. From USA Today (see Florida GOP begins choosing sides in Bush vs. Rubio):

Jeb: Big advantage in minority outreach

By Lynn R. Mitchell

In Tuesday’s Washington Post, “Right Turn” columnist Jennifer Rubin noted that Jeb Bush has a big advantage in minority outreach that is somewhat lacking in other possible 2016 GOP candidates (see Minority outreach that works). She wrote:

The most interesting part of the Mason-Dixon Florida Poll may not be that 59 percent of Republicans there want Jeb Bush to run for president. He was, after all, a successful governor there. Rather, two other figures pop out: A large share of the Hispanic vote in both parties (44 percent) and of independents (50 percent) want him to run. It is a telling reminder that saying you want to reach out, after deciding you want to be president, is a far different thing than having an established appeal with non-traditional GOP voters. Bush got 61 percent of the Hispanic vote in his first gubernatorial election and 56 percent in his re-election.