Jeb Bush 2016? Former Governor's Education Vision Could Point To Presidency
Political pundits continue to speculate about a possible run for the presidency in 2016 for Jeb Bush as the former governor of Florida opines publicly about what he thinks the nation needs to remain great.
Bush, who is the brother of George W. Bush and son of George H.W. Bush, is considered a likely candidate for the Republican nomination for the presidency in four years.
He appeared before an audience of 1,000 in Washington on Tuesday morning, the second day of a two-day national meeting of his Foundation for Excellence in Education. During the summit, Bush spoke about the country's dire educational needs.
"This ideal of who we are as a nation ... it's going away, it's leaving us," Bush said. "There is one path that can change this course ... a child-centered education."
During his talk, Bush spoke about his faith in America's children and called for the nation's parents and politicians to come together and patiently create an education system that nurtures all students, no matter where they stand on the educational scale.
"We'll have a challenge - will we have the courage to stay the course, to faithfully implement higher standards ... and recognize the fact that too many of our children are lagging behind," Bush said. We have to start with higher expectations for the next generation. If we've learned one lesson from reform, it is this: we continually underestimate children. ... It will take some adjustment but our kids will rise to the challenge. We reward the things we want more of. ... We are not as happy when there is mediocrity ... and when there is failure, we should have no tolerance for it."
High-profile policy plans like this are part of what makes it seem likely that Bush will run for president in 2016. A New York Times story published on Thanksgiving day took a look at Bush's current place in a potential 2016 campaign and where his mind is regarding a possible run.
"Mr. Bush is said by friends to be weighing financial and family considerations — between so many years in office and the recession his wealth took a dip, they said, and he has been working hard to restore it — as well as the complicated place within the Republican Party of the Bush brand. Asked this week about whether his father would run, Jeb Bush Jr. told CNN, 'I certainly hope so,'" the Times reported.
