James Carville predicted yesterday that Jeb Bush will get the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
At CNN’s America Votes 2008 Breakfast, the chief architect of Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential run predicted that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be the Republican nominee in 2008. Jeb is a younger brother of President Bush.
Carville bolstered his prediction, highlighting Jeb Bush’s career: He was a successful governor of a large state, he enjoys the support of social conservatives, he speaks Spanish, and “he’s somebody the party could rally around,” Carville said. “There is nobody in this field who can rally the Republican Party; he’s the only person in America that can do it,” he added.
Given that it was a breakfast meeting, one would presume Carville was sober when he made these comments. While I respect his skills as a political analyst, though, this strikes me as more than a little farfetched.
First, there’s the fact that Jeb Bush’s last name is “Bush.” His brother, the incumbent president, is incredibly unpopular, disliked by even a sizable portion of the Republican base. Second, he’s not only indicated that he’s not running but he has made no move to run and has no organization in the key early primary states. It’s almost certainly too late for him to get in at this point.
Carville’s right, though, that none of the current candidates yet excites the party. Then again, somebody will get the nomination and thereby become the alternative to, presumably, Hillary Clinton. That will be enough to rally the troops.
