Cant Keep Quiet!

Please say it isn’t so!

Earlier this month G.W. Bush said that his brother Jeb! would make a “great president.” At the time I thought “Oh, please,” but basically ignored the idea.

I think this country as a whole has had enough foliage in the presidency for the time being. Besides, ‘08 is a long way away and McCain is kissing butt with the far right conservatives, the president, and the Republican party so much he’s proven he’ll do anything for the chance to run for president. Hell, he helped Bush campaign in 2004 even though Bush had assasinated not only McCain’s character, but his war record, his wife’s reputation, and his daughter’s parentage in 2000. Anyone who is willing to forgive and forget such horrific political tactics has to have shown the Republican party that he’ll “sleep” with anyone to get into the White House. (Too bad, I used to really like McCain.)

So I wasn’t too worried about having to see too much more of Jeb! after he leaves office in January ‘07. Until I read an article in the Orlando Sentinel today.

Friday night, Jeb! attended a fundraiser for the Florida Family Policy Council, an offshoot of the group Focus on the Family. At the fundraiser Jeb! stated that Florida may be at a point where it needs a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.

This is a change from Jeb!’s long held position that a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages wasn’t needed.

Why would Jeb! make a statement like that when he is literally months away from leaving office? It’s not like this is something that will show up on the ballots this year. Florida Family Policy Council tried to get the amendment on the ballots for this year but were not able to get the required number of signatures needed for a voter proposed amendment.

In other words, this is a non-issue for Florida during this election year. So why would a man who will leave office before this issue can rear its ugly head again start pandering to the far right?

If Jeb! really does think he has a chance to win the presidential primary, much less the general election, he should start thinking again. His brother’s so-called political “capital” won’t help him win Best Governor’s Mansion right now. Not with an approval rating in the low, low 30s.

Jeb! also doesn’t have as many fans in Florida as he likes to think he does. He had to really battle to win against a relative unknown back in 2002. Then, being the president’s brother probably helped him gain some votes. After all, people had rallied around G.W. after 9/11 and were happy about how Afghanistan was going. We hadn’t yet invaded Iraq. Things were good for G.W. and that rubbed off on Jeb!, but he still had a tough battle.

G.W. might as well be “snake bit” now for all the bad luck he’s having. That won’t help anyone hoping to cash in on some of their brother’s “capital.”

Of course, Jeb! could be pandering to help out Attorney General Charlie Crist or Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher. Both men attended the affair. Both men want to be the next governor. Both men would not take a position on any hot topic issues such as same-sex marriage.

Jeb! is in a position where he can say anything he wants and pander to anyone he wants and not have to worry about running for office in Florida. He can help both men (he says he hasn’t decided who to support), leaving them free to soak up the effects of Jeb!’s brown nosing without shooting themselves in the foot at the same time.

Ahhh! I feel much better now. I knew talking it out (well, writing it out) would put it all in perspective. Of course, if Jeb! attends a function like this without Crist or Gallagher and says something clearly pandering I’ll have to rethink my whole argument.

Cross posted on Bring It On!