Which Party Does Jeb Bush Belong To?

by Stuart Shapiro

Yes, yes, I know he is a Republican, but with comments like the ones he’s been making recently, one has to wonder if he is really rooting for Gov. Romney to become president.

Last week, for example, the former Florida governor praised President Obama on education policy, hot on the heels of Romney delivering a speech condemning Obama’s education policy. Bush also said his party is being “short-sighted” on tax and immigration policies, which is not what the GOP mainstream wants to hear.

This morning, Jeb Bush went further, endorsing Obama’s line about economic “headwinds” from Europe, and agreeing with Obama’s recent argument that both Ronald Reagan and his father George H. W. Bush would have a hard time getting nominated by today’s Republican Party.

Like his home state senator, and his brother, Gov. Bush has trouble mustering much good to say about Romney.  And like Mike Huckabee and numerous others, Jeb Bush realizes how far the Republicans have drifted from President Reagan.  Jeb Bush may regret not running for president, but I’m still happy he didn’t.  I’m betting President Obama is happy as well.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.