Op-ed:

Jeb Bush...not the right candidate for 2016

By: Diane Sori

Let me start by saying that I like Jeb Bush. He was a fantastic governor here in Florida and he would make a terrific president...however that will NOT be nor should it be.

Why...because Jeb is smart enough to know that it's time for the next generation of leaders to take over.

The recent presidential election proved just that as the demographics of America has changed. While blacks propelled Obama to the White House in 2008, Hispanics did so this time mainly because of the amnesty issue. But make no mistake about it, while Jeb could pull in large numbers of Hispanics because his wife is Mexican, because he speaks fluent Spanish, and because he supports both immigration reform in regards to ILLEGALS and educational reform in our nation's public schools (including support for school choice and stricter performance standards), even with these stances that are attractive to Hispanics, he does have one major obstacle in his way that might be insurmountable to overcome...the Bush name.

So as the Hispanic vote picks up momentum and gains in importance the youth vote does as well, and both these demographics must be seriously addressed by the Republican Party in order to win back the White House in 2016. But it needs to be addressed by a new breed of politician more in tune to that age group and demographic. And Jeb does have two sons that meet both those needs and both have future political ambitions on the larger scale. One son, Jeb Bush Jr, runs a PAC that recruits and supports conservative Hispanic politicians, and his other son, George P. Bush, will be running for land commissioner in his home state of Texas. So if Jeb were to seriously consider a run for the presidency the chances are the future political aspirations of his sons would come to an end, and as a devoted father this should weigh heavy in his decision NOT to run.

But Jeb Bush must remain a driving force in the Republican Party leading up to 2016, but he really does need to step aside for the next generation of leaders. Jeb is part of the so-called establishment, the 'Old Guard' if you will, but would serve this country greatly by helping the up-and-comers through his sharing of his vast knowledge of economics, government, and leadership...he really is a treasure trove of information being the brother of one president, the son of another, and an ex-governor of the Sunshine state.

So where does that leave the Republican Party in the absence of a Jeb run...it leaves us with some very good younger conservatives like Florida Senator Marco Rubio (my first choice) who considers Jeb his mentor and holds many of his beliefs...former VP candidate Paul Ryan...Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell...South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley...Indiana Rep. Mike Pence...and never count out Sarah Palin (with Allen West as her VP choice perhaps, what a 'fun' ticket that would be)...a run by any of the 'New Guard' would rightly give the Democrats more cause to worry than a run by Jeb Bush. Remember, after Obama the Democrats will NOT give up control easily, and will probably forgo their own 'Old Guard' knowing the baggage carried by their top dog, Hillary Clinton, just might be more headache than they're willing to take.

So who will the Democrats turn to...also their next generation. And who's in that ballpark...Joaquin Castro of Texas, the keynote speaker at this year DNC comes to mind...young, Hispanic, and far to the left, just the Democrats cup of tea. Who else is a possibility...New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who between his efforts on Hurricane Sandy relief and his former cabinet position as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton Administration, may have the leverage and name recognition needed to form a strong and viable candidacy. Also, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was the chairman of the DNC this past September could very well become the first Latino president because lets be honest here...these past two elections prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that blacks will vote for a black candidate simple because he's black, and a Hispanic will vote against a wealthy white man and for a fellow Hispanic because they've been indoctrinated by the left to buy into the made-up class warfare/anti-immigration scenario that the Democrats have so successfully played out against the Republicans.

But even with core fundamental differences what all these people in both parties have in common is that they're the next generation of leaders, and Jeb would do America well by turning the reigns of power over to them for if he doesn't it will be November 6, 2012 all over again.