Blog 1 Justin Vickers

Jeb Bush is an American politician who served as Florida’s governor from 1998 to 2007. He is also the son of the 41st U.S. President George Bush and the brother of the 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush. Some of Jeb Bush’s early life is he was born on February 11, 1953, in midland Texas. Being a part of the Bush family he has spent much of his life around politics. In terms of public interest as an upcoming politician he chose to go to Mexico and teach English while on an exchange program in high school. Also, being a part of a military-centered family Bush, who didn’t really support the Vietnam war  registered for the draft after his graduation in 1972, but did not have to be inducted due to the new draft rules. He attended the University of Texas and played on the Longhorns Varsity tennis team in 1973. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude earning a degree in Latin American studies.

After being Florida’s governor for many years in June 2015, Bush announced his run for the U.S. presidency. Some earlier political experience Bush has attained was moving to Florida in the early 1980’s serving a Florida’s secretary of commerce. His first run for office as the Republican candidate for states governor was in 1994, but lost that in a close battle between Governor Lawton Chiles. He again decided to run in 1998 and in that election was able to come up victorious. Bush left Florida’s office in 2007, but remained constant on a number of his former political issues. Some of these include issues include supporting the Common Core Standards, a national educational initiative, and on immigration reform. In 2014 that is when he hinted that he could do more for the united Stated then just be a governor of Florida by posting on his Facebook page that he had “decided to actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States.

Jeb Bush would be a qualified person to be the next president of the United States for a few reasons. These reasons will be more talked about as the semester goes. One reason is that he was a popular governor and ran for 8 years as governor. Florida is a large and diverse state with the nations fourth largest economy. It takes hard work and effort to run such a place. Next is that he is electable meaning that he has run and returned to office in a politically dynamic and trended Republican in recent cycles. He is already likely leading 2016 GOP contenders in polls of Florida voters. Bush is a conservative, but also appeals to independents and even some Democrats with his view on issues. Some things that are also on his agenda include limited government and reducing taxes, led several environmental and education programs, and is very second amendment and pro-life. Another kkey aspect is that Bush appeals to the Latino population in that he has done much work with them speaking fluent Spanish with a growing Hispanic electoral rate. These are just some reasons Jeb Bush can be a qualified member for the 2016 campaign.