It’s no secret that Jeb Bush–the measured, non-Tea Party, Republican “moderate,” still hasn’t made a seminal splash in the early presidential posturing. It’s not what wonks do. Officially, he’s still a non-candidate with ongoing, “Right To Rise” Super PAC heft and name recognition to sigh for.
Unofficially, those early Iowa polls are still not that encouraging.
We know his immigration and Common Core stands are not manna for GOPster primary crowds or a certain caucus state. But he’s popular with the donor class. And we know that he’s road- testing positions, fine-tuning approaches and checking out rhetorical wiggle room while courting the Koch Brothers and working on his Paleo diet.
One day he’s delivering a commencement speech at Liberty University, self-described as the largest Christian university in the world. The next day he’s speaking at a National Review forum in Washington. The day after he’s sitting down with Fox News’ star Megyn Kelly.
But he’s not a–wink/nod–candidate. Perhaps Barbara Bush is not yet all in.
But we also know that he has a strategy that puts a premium on peaking late. We’ve heard the “lose the primaries to win the general” rationale.
It made enough sense until recently.
Until he broached the subject of foreign policy. Until he announced that he was bringing in a team of advisers that was almost entirely composed of hawks, many of whom also worked for his brother, former President George W. Bush–or “W” as in (Iraqi) War (of choice).
An awful move.
Imagine, having Paul Wolfowitz dispensing Muddled East advice again. Imagine, “W” being Jeb’s most influential adviser on U.S.-Israeli policy. No, you don’t have to disown kin to appease the electorate, but you can stop far shy of associating yourself with a demonstrably failed policy, one that is ultimately responsible for the expanded regional influence of Iran and the rise of ISIS. How’s that for a legacy?
Not only did Bush, 62, come across as a de facto neocon, but he also managed to remind the electorate in the worst way possible that he’s yet another entitled Bush sibling.
So much for the “my own man” disclaimers if you’re going to validate the worst foreign policy decision in the history of the United States. One that cost 4,500 American lives, billions in treasury and untold costs to the credibility of the U.S.
Too bad Jeb Bush hasn’t named his dad or Colin Powell as key foreign policy advisers. They are the two Americans most responsible for not wanting to invade Baghdad after the 1991 Gulf War–and, in effect, not wanting to put the U.S. in the position of becoming occupiers of a Muslim country.
We know how that logic unraveled a dozen years later–with the neocons finally seeing their opening to carve out a West-leaning, buffer state with lots of oil. We know how that has played out.