Newsmax: Jeb Sides With His Mom, But Praises Palin

Says Gov. Palin has "an incredible skill to connect with people"
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In an Newsmax TV interview, former Florida governor Jeb Bush sided with his mother Barbara in the war of words between his clan's matriarch and Sarah Palin. Dubya's younger brother, however, said his mom "from time to time says things that that give us all great joy and sometimes some consternation," and offered praise for the former governor of Alaska and GOP vice presidential candidate:

”She's got an incredible skill to connect with people. She has fantastic political instincts, I think... She seems to get energy from the left's opposition of her. It's interesting how she turns that energy into continued strength amongst people who view the elites with great concern. So she's managed to figure out how to deal with this almost irrational displeasure of (sic) her. She turns it into a huge political strength. That requires just great political instincts, and she certainly has it.”

- JP

Andrew Malcolm: Would Jeb Bush vote for Palin vs Obama? 'You betcha!'

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Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was John King's guest on CNN today. Bush said that today's campaign debates could benefit from a little more substance, and he believes the GOP need to adopt a positive agenda in 2012 that is "big and bold and aspiritional." Then, as our friend Andrew Malcolm observes:

King asked Bush a question off of Facebook: "Would he endorse Palin for president if he does not run himself."

Bush's quick reply: "Well, A, I'm not running. And if Sarah Palin is the nominee and she's running against Barack Obama, you betcha."

So, for at least for one party establishment figure, Sarah Palin could be a unifying factor against you-know-who.

We rarely feel compelled to give props to establishment Republicans, but we have to say good for Gov. Bush.

- JP

Jeb, we hardly knew ye...

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Conservative Lite^TM Jeb Bush, who has been silent for a good long while, finally opened his mouth and shortly thereafter put his foot in it. In a Newsmax interview, he dissed Reagan conservative Sarah Palin and praised Vichy Republican Charlie Crist. Some reaction from the Web:

sisu:

"Northeast Corridor Conservative Jeb Bush gratuitously dissed Sarah Palin and thereby all her fans in a Newsmax interview this afta. As far as we're concerned, he's toast."

The Lonely Conservative: 

"Sarah Palin hasn’t announced any intention to run in 2012. Other than her support for John McCain, she’s doing some good things for the conservative movement. There’s no need to bash her. Crist, on the other hand, is a RINO who not only supported, but embraced, Obama’s dreadful stimulus package, and he wants to be a United States Senator. Jeb ought to save his criticism for those truly deserving of it. Instead he opened his mouth and joined the ranks of the elitists that are annoying to the rest of us."

American Conservative Values:

"Perhaps Jeb has forgotten what they said about his brother George W. Bush and what they also said about President Reagan. Perhaps, just perhaps if Jeb had a brain he’d keep his mouth shut!"

Classic Liberal:

"Find the most popular figure among the conservative base, then lambaste her as stoopid. Yeah, I admit it. I love seeing the Establishment fall apart! Moron. Then again, he is a Bush. Btw, a 'depth of understanding of the complexity of life we're living in today' is another way of saying 'we need more progressives!'"

Allahpundit, displaying his usual mind-numbing political instincts, wonders whether Jeb is thinking thinking about a 2012 run. Riiight, Allah. Presidential candidates always launch their campaigns by dissing their potential opponents and getting their supporters fightin' mad. Sheesh!

- JP

NCNA, Reagan Conservatism and Sarah Palin

I have to disagree with Tony Perkins here:

In another step away from its conservative roots, Republican members of the House unveiled The National Council for a New America in hopes of recasting the Party's ailing identity. The effort only underscores the Republicans' present identity crisis, as the GOP leadership kicked off the campaign devoid of the values that once caused voters to identify with the party.

If there going to be an NCNA (and there already is one), then conservatives such as Eric Cantor, Haley Barbour and Sarah Palin should be fairly represented on its Council of Advisors (and they are). The last thing conservatives need is for a group which aims to get the party back in touch with the views of the people to have those views interpreted exclusively by party apparatchiks who are not conservatives.

Therefore I agree with Ramesh Ponnuru's post in response to Perkins:

"I'd point out that what the council is doing is very similar to what Haley Barbour did at the RNC in the first two years of the Clinton administration: holding panel discussions around the country to discuss conservative policy ideas. Barbour's effort didn't stress the social issues either, but its inattention to them did not mean that the influence of social conservatism in the Republican party declined during the early 1990s. Far from it."

On another point, Perkins takes Jeb Bush to task and says the GOP must not abandon Reagan's principles:

"Former Gov. Jeb Bush explained the values void by saying it was time for the GOP to give up its 'nostalgia' for Reagan-era ideas and look forward to new 'relevant' ideas."

I'm not a big Jeb Bush supporter, but to be fair to the former Florida governor, he never said that the GOP should abandon Reagan principles or Reagan ideas. Here is the actual quote:

"I felt like there was a lot of nostalgia and the good old days in the [Republican] messaging. I mean, it's great, but it doesn't draw people toward your cause," Mr. Bush said."

I was outraged, too, until I carefully re-read the article. I think Jeb is the victim of some sensationalist writing by the Washington Times reporters here. In fact, deeper in the story Bush says that the party should remain true to its conservative principles.

I'm no mind reader, but I believe Bush meant to convey the the thought that nostalgia for the Reagan era without any attempt to apply Reagan's timeless principles to today's issues does conservatives no good. The best way to keep Reagan's spirit alive, in my view, is to give the voices of conservative young guns like Sarah Palin a serious hearing. Her inclusion in the NCNA panel should serve to do just that.

Update: Mark Tapscott represents the view of those conservatives not willing to cut Jeb any slack. You decide.

- JP