Why is Jeb Bush sharing the stage with President Obama?
| Washington
The scene on stage Friday at a Miami public high school will be eye-catching: the Republican former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, alongside President Obama.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan invited former Governor Bush to appear with the president at an education event in Florida, and Bush in turn recommended the venue 鈥� Miami Central High School, which has made strides in turning itself around.
It鈥檚 obvious why Mr. Obama would want Bush there. He is a Republican star, albeit one who can鈥檛 run for president just yet, given lingering Bush fatigue. The presence of Jeb Bush, whose older brother George W. Bush also emphasized education during his presidency, puts a bipartisan seal of approval on Obama鈥檚 own education efforts.
But why is this a good move for Jeb Bush? He has made clear that he鈥檚 not running for office in 2012 (either president or Senate), but don鈥檛 rule out a presidential run in 2016. One of his big issues is education. During his two terms in Tallahassee, Bush fashioned himself as the 鈥渆ducation governor,鈥� then started the Foundation for Excellence in Education after leaving office in 2007. Its goals sound a lot like Obama鈥檚: high expectations, data-driven accountability for teachers, outcome-based funding, helping the nation compete globally.
鈥淚t won鈥檛 hurt him nationally, because education is one of those issues that you do see a lot of cohesiveness on 鈥� with the exception of how to pay for it,鈥� says Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
So on Friday, don鈥檛 expect budget talk out of Bush when he鈥檚 up there with Obama, or references to the legislative standoff in Wisconsin over public unions. The Bushes are nothing if not well-mannered. Still, you have to wonder how the still-forming field of potential Republican presidential challengers will react when one of the party鈥檚 leading lights makes nice with the 鈥渆nemy鈥� in an important swing state like Florida.
Perhaps it鈥檚 a sign that Bush thinks Obama will be hard to beat, and so he might as well take advantage of the spotlight when it鈥檚 offered. He鈥檚 not saying.
One thing is for sure: If Bush has any say in the matter, there won鈥檛 be a photo op of Obama giving him a big hug, a la former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, whose embrace with Obama dealt a mortal blow to his Senate campaign.
鈥淭he picture I want to see is Obama chasing [Bush] around the stage trying to give him a bear hug,鈥� says Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
