Jeb Bush: Time to Leave Reagan Behind – WTF?

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, Rep. Eric Cantor and former Gov. Mitt Romney (left to right in center) lead a “Conversation for a New America” on Saturday in Arlington as part of a listening tour meant to revitalize the Republican Party

Jeb Bush does not “get it.”

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday that it’s time for the Republican Party to give up its “nostalgia” for the heyday of the Reagan era and look forward, even if it means stealing the winning strategy deployed by Democrats in the 2008 election.

“You can’t beat something with nothing, and the other side has something. I don’t like it, but they have it, and we have to be respectful and mindful of that,” Mr. Bush said.

The former president’s brother, often mentioned as a potential candidate in 2012, said President Obama’s message of hope and change during the 2008 campaign clearly resonated with Americans.

This is what his father did during his disasterous Presidential term which ended with eight years of Bill Clinton and what his brother did in taking the GOP into minority status in his Presidency.

Reagan offered “hope and change” from the stagflation and weak foreign policy disasters of the decade’s long rule of the Democrats in Congress and Jimmy Carter’s failed Presidency.

Jeb should be saying: “Build on the Reagan Legacy with a new generation of conservative leadership.”

Sadly, he didn’t.

The national GOP needs to go beyond the Bush legacy and Reagan conservatives must retake the party policy machinery.

Technorati Tags: Jeb Bush, Ronald Reagan

2 Comments

Lyn

May 4, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Jeb Bush’s comments were weak and empty. He should not have praised Obama and the Democrats’ success in the Nov. 2008 elections. If Jeb Bush wanted to say anything he should have said “America’s been misled in 2008” or something like that. As far as getting away from the Reagan era when I hear that it makes me think Republicans want to start loosening their standards and backing off their stances on moral issues. Now if times have changed and moral issues mean nothing then we’re all screwed anyway. But being a Republican should mean something.

Glenn

May 4, 2009 at 7:53 pm

Reagan won the Presidency in a record landslide due to his strong Conservative values. In 1994 the Republican Party presented their “Contract With America” and won the House for the first time in 40 years. They have witnessed phenomenal success whenever they stand by the values that made this country great, the values that a majority of Americans hold dear. Less government, less taxes, strong on family values and Defense, enforcing our borders and a comittment to respect the American people’s right to Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The last ten years they ignore the very policies and beliefs that gained the GOP their position in the political arena, make like “Democrat Light”, promote Liberal McCain as their candidate for President,
refuse to stand their ground against the Democrats, and then wonder where all the people in their party went. Conservatism is not outdated or passe’ – the GOP knows what works, but still tries to come up with something more “modern” (aka Progressive)
and looking more like the Party from Hell that just kicked their ass. To the Leadership of the GOP, look what works people – Sarah Palin fired up the Presidential Race with speeches that sounded like Ronald Reagan. Follow Reagan’s lead. You can’t fail.

Lyn

May 4, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Jeb Bush’s comments were weak and empty. He should not have praised Obama and the Democrats’ success in the Nov. 2008 elections. If Jeb Bush wanted to say anything he should have said “America’s been misled in 2008” or something like that. As far as getting away from the Reagan era when I hear that it makes me think Republicans want to start loosening their standards and backing off their stances on moral issues. Now if times have changed and moral issues mean nothing then we’re all screwed anyway. But being a Republican should mean something.
Glenn

May 4, 2009 at 7:53 pm

Reagan won the Presidency in a record landslide due to his strong Conservative values. In 1994 the Republican Party presented their “Contract With America” and won the House for the first time in 40 years. They have witnessed phenomenal success whenever they stand by the values that made this country great, the values that a majority of Americans hold dear. Less government, less taxes, strong on family values and Defense, enforcing our borders and a comittment to respect the American people’s right to Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The last ten years they ignore the very policies and beliefs that gained the GOP their position in the political arena, make like “Democrat Light”, promote Liberal McCain as their candidate for President,
refuse to stand their ground against the Democrats, and then wonder where all the people in their party went. Conservatism is not outdated or passe’ – the GOP knows what works, but still tries to come up with something more “modern” (aka Progressive)
and looking more like the Party from Hell that just kicked their ass. To the Leadership of the GOP, look what works people – Sarah Palin fired up the Presidential Race with speeches that sounded like Ronald Reagan. Follow Reagan’s lead. You can’t fail.