Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Opinion

John Aloysius Farrell

Jeb Bush for President in 2012? After Sanford, Ensign Etc., It's Not Impossible

June 26, 2009 05:32 PM ET | John Aloysius Farrell | Permanent Link | Print

By John Aloysius Farrell, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

It's looking highly likely that the 2012 Republican presidential nominee will be a retread.

With Gov. Mark Sanford at wit's end, and Sen. John Ensign joining Sanford at adultery camp, and Gov. Jon Huntsman going to China, and Gov. Bobby Jindal flopping in his first big national TV appearance, and Gov. Mitch Daniels saying he doesn't want to be president, and Gov. Sarah Palin running such an undisciplined operation up there in Alaska, the prospect for fresh blood is thinning.

We got some old party leaders from down South—Gov. Haley Barbour and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich—and a couple of former governors who couldn't beat John McCain last time out—Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

And then there is Jeb.

Yes, my friends. It is sad but true. We have not seen the end of the Bush dynasty yet.

Two things must happen for Americans to forget George W. Bush's awful performance, and let his brother Jeb have a turn in the Oval Office. First, a lot of other GOP contenders must self-destruct. Second, Barack Obama has to fail spectacularly.

The Republican hopefuls are doing their part.

So now it's time to see how nasty the old hands from the Bush administration get. Watch them carefully in the coming months. From W on down, the more the Bushies rip Obama, the more they are thinking Jeb in 2012. 

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Tags: Republicans | Jeb Bush

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John Aloysius Farrell is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report. An award-winning Washington reporter, he has written for The Boston Globe and The Denver Post and is the author of Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century and an upcoming biography of the great American defense attorney, Clarence Darrow.

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