#1. Again, do we really want an oligarchy?
Jeb Bush aims to make the Bushes the first family to produce 3 Presidents. Perhaps more alarming would be the proximity with which the 3 men would serve their terms, as if Jeb Bush were to be elected in 2016, there will have been more Bush than non-Bush Presidents (Clinton and Obama) since George HW Bush’s election in 1988. Even more frightening is that some are already discussing the path to the White House for Jeb’s son, George P Bush, who was elected to be Texas Land Commissioner in 2014.
#2. Anti-Due Process, Pro-Mandatory Minimums and Pro-Execution
During his time as Governor of Florida, Bush oversaw 21 executions and never commuted a single sentence. Bush has proudly described himself as a “hang-’em-by-the-neck conservative,” during his tenure passing 10-20-Life, the Three-Strikes Violent Felony Offender Act and the Habitual Offender Accountability Act, all of which increased mandatory minimum sentences and reduced judicial discretion. Additionally, he worked to hasten the death row appeals process in order to increase the pace of executions.
#3. Drug War Hypocrisy
Jeb Bush is as “conservative” as it gets on drug policy. He has stated that he is against medical marijuana, as it is only a “guise” for eventual legalization. In 2000, he called for more federal funding in all aspects of the Drug War, and as governor, he supported mandatory sentences for drug offenses. All of these stances would be bad enough on their own, but it is reported that in high school, Bush was known to frequently smoke marijuana. If his own proposals were to be applied to his younger self, he would have likely spent years in jail.
#4. A Return to “Compassionate Conservative” Government Investments
As much as Bush portrays himself as a champion of small government and free markets, he has a long record of supporting intervention in the economy. He supported the 2008 TARP bailout of Wall Street, stating that it was needed to avoid “financial unraveling.” During his two terms as governor, the Florida budget expanded by 27%.
#5. Government Entanglement in Education
Jeb Bush has consistently been an unabashed supporter of government-run education. He stated in 2014 that he will continue to defend Common Core, even as most Republicans (and Americans) oppose it, because it is the “right thing” for the country. He also strongly supported his brother’s No Child Left Behind program, saying that it “served a useful purpose.”
#6. Anti-Civil Liberties
Bush recently stated that he supports the NSA spying program, defending it as “hugely important” in keeping Americans safe. He went on to say that he “doesn’t understand the debate” over the controversial program. As Governor of Florida in 2004, he advocated for a “tracking system” to prevent prescription drug abuse, which would give the state more leverage in investigating doctors and patients. A version of his proposal eventually came to fruition through the E-FORCSE program.
#7. Same Old Bush Foreign Policy
Bush theorizes that over time, “people will respect the resolve” of the US’s military efforts in Iraq. He has also stated that the US should encourage regime change in Iran and that military options should be left on the table to do so. In 1997, Bush signed the New American Century Statement of Principles, which in part stated that “we need to accept responsibility for America’s unique role in preserving and extending an international order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles.”
#8. Corporatist Health Care
During his time on the board of Tenet Health Care, Bush made over $2 million. What makes this fortune problematic is that Tenet “aggressively encouraged Americans to sign up for insurance under the [Affordable Care Act] and trumpeted the legislation as a boon to the company’s finances,” according to The New York Times’ Michael Barbaro. Additionally, during his time as governor, he vastly expanded Medicaid, leading Christy Harris Lemak, who studied Bush’s Medicaid plans, to say that aspects of Bush’s Medicaid reforms were similar to Obamacare exchanges, where individuals make choices about their own health insurance, often subsidized by government. Lemak also said that Bush’s program included networks similar to the Accountable Care Organizations in Obamacare.
#9. Radical, Intrusive Social Conservatism
In the infamous Terri Schiavo case, then-Governor Bush ordered that a feeding tube be inserted into Mrs. Schiavo in order to keep her alive, thus overruling the wishes of her husband. In 1998, he supported the stressing of abstinence in the teaching of sex education, saying that schools should “end social promotion” and “improve school safety and discipline.” Although Bush has significantly softened his stances on gay rights issues in anticipation of his presidential bid, when asked about the topic in 1994, he stated that, “polluters, pedophiles, pornographers, drunk drivers and developers without permits receive, and deserve, precious little representation or defense from their governor.”
#10. Questionable Wall Street Connections
After concluding his time as governor, Bush was hired by banking firm Lehman Brothers, whose asset management business at the time was run by his second cousin, George Walker. Not long after, Lehman imploded, helping to spur the 2008 financial crisis. Afterwards, Walker left to run asset manager Neuberger Berman, once a Lehman subsidiary, and Bush took a job at Barclays, which took control of Lehman’s investment banking business after the firm filed for bankruptcy. Such direct ties to Wall Street bring into question Bush’s commitment to impartiality. It is heavily rumored that Bush is the Republican candidate most favored by Wall Street, perhaps second only to Hillary Clinton.