http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/former...out-2016-presidential-run-1409876227?mobile=y
Jeb Bush Sends Signals About 2016 Presidential Run
WASHINGTON—Republican strategists and fundraisers say Jeb Bush's closest advisers have been quietly spreading the word that they should avoid committing to other possible presidential candidates until he decides on his own course after the November election.
The message from Mr. Bush's inner circle during the past few months is in part an effort to bat down speculation that the former Florida governor has ruled out a 2016 run, say GOP donors and strategists who have spoken with the Bush camp. The message, as one put it, is: "Before you do anything, let us know."
Jim Nicholson, a Bush supporter who served in PresidentGeorge W. Bush's cabinet, said: "I think the chances are better than 50-50 that he runs, and that is based on some conversations I've had with members of the Bush family."
Mr. Bush's aides aren't actively making calls but responding to supporters who are fielding inquiries from other potential candidates, according to those involved in the conversations.
Mr. Bush is a top choice of the establishment wing of the Republican Party. His entry would help define the policy fights of the primary process, as his support for overhauling immigration law and for the Common Core national educational standards has drawn strong opposition from many conservatives.
Mr. Bush, who is 61 years old, has said the impact of a presidential run on his family would be a paramount concern. One of his three children, Jeb Bush Jr., said the matter hasn't come up in family gatherings, though the issue is "the 800-pound gorilla in the room.''
"A lot of people are waiting to see what Dad does,'' the junior Mr. Bush, who works at his father's Miami-area business consulting firm, said in an interview Thursday. "There's a lot of pressure to run."
Mr. Bush wasn't available for comment, a spokeswoman said. A top adviser, Sally Bradshaw, said: "There is no organized effort to actively recruit support for a presidential campaign. He is seriously considering the race and will make a decision sometime after November."
Mike Feldman, an aide on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, said both Mr. Bush and likely Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton would campaign with tremendous advantages—and baggage—due to their families' long political history.
"Both of them would have to wrestle with the trade-offs involved in emphasizing their considerable experience and presenting a vision for the future while having to defend their records and litigating the past," he said.
Mr. Bush has built a life outside politics since leaving public office in 2007, serving on corporate boards, heading a business consulting firm and leading two educational think tanks.
His mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, has said she hopes he doesn't run, given that the nation has already been led by his father and brother.
The outreach from Mr. Bush's aides came amid speculation this summer that he was leaning against a run, due in part to reports that he was raising money for private-equity ventures when other potential candidates were visiting early-primary states.
Attention among some in the GOP returned to Mitt Romney, the party's nominee in 2012, who has said he is "not running,'' but has allowed that "circumstances can change.'' Messrs. Bush and Romney would compete for a similar set of fundraisers and political hands.
Many donors are both looking for a signal of intent from Mr. Bush but also are happy to stay on the sidelines until after the midterm elections, when the field will start to crystallize. For them, Mr. Bush's indecision is helpful.
"It's frozen the field a bit, in that it's a convenient excuse for finance people to stay neutral and wait to commit," said Republican strategist Dave Carney, a top adviser toRick Perry's 2012 campaign who worked in the White House for George W. Bush.
"It's not like Jeb would walk into the race and clear the field, but his gravitas and fundraising network makes him a first-class competitor," Mr. Carney said.
In addition to keeping potential donors and supporters on deck, Mr. Bush is taking other steps that typically precede a presidential campaign: traveling the country, engaging in public policy debates and raising money for his party.
A newly established fundraising committee allows him to funnel donations from his financial backers to GOP candidates key to winning a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Mr. Bush is slated to headline a Sept. 23 event in Tampa that organizers hope will raise as much as $1 million for GOP Senate candidates Cory Gardner in Colorado, Joni Ernst in Iowa, Monica Wehby in Oregon, Tom Cotton in Arkansas and Dan Sullivan in Alaska. A Bush aide said the goal was $500,000.
Jeb Bush Sends Signals About 2016 Presidential Run
WASHINGTON—Republican strategists and fundraisers say Jeb Bush's closest advisers have been quietly spreading the word that they should avoid committing to other possible presidential candidates until he decides on his own course after the November election.
The message from Mr. Bush's inner circle during the past few months is in part an effort to bat down speculation that the former Florida governor has ruled out a 2016 run, say GOP donors and strategists who have spoken with the Bush camp. The message, as one put it, is: "Before you do anything, let us know."
Jim Nicholson, a Bush supporter who served in PresidentGeorge W. Bush's cabinet, said: "I think the chances are better than 50-50 that he runs, and that is based on some conversations I've had with members of the Bush family."
Mr. Bush's aides aren't actively making calls but responding to supporters who are fielding inquiries from other potential candidates, according to those involved in the conversations.
Mr. Bush is a top choice of the establishment wing of the Republican Party. His entry would help define the policy fights of the primary process, as his support for overhauling immigration law and for the Common Core national educational standards has drawn strong opposition from many conservatives.
Mr. Bush, who is 61 years old, has said the impact of a presidential run on his family would be a paramount concern. One of his three children, Jeb Bush Jr., said the matter hasn't come up in family gatherings, though the issue is "the 800-pound gorilla in the room.''
"A lot of people are waiting to see what Dad does,'' the junior Mr. Bush, who works at his father's Miami-area business consulting firm, said in an interview Thursday. "There's a lot of pressure to run."
Mr. Bush wasn't available for comment, a spokeswoman said. A top adviser, Sally Bradshaw, said: "There is no organized effort to actively recruit support for a presidential campaign. He is seriously considering the race and will make a decision sometime after November."
Mike Feldman, an aide on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, said both Mr. Bush and likely Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton would campaign with tremendous advantages—and baggage—due to their families' long political history.
"Both of them would have to wrestle with the trade-offs involved in emphasizing their considerable experience and presenting a vision for the future while having to defend their records and litigating the past," he said.
Mr. Bush has built a life outside politics since leaving public office in 2007, serving on corporate boards, heading a business consulting firm and leading two educational think tanks.
His mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, has said she hopes he doesn't run, given that the nation has already been led by his father and brother.
The outreach from Mr. Bush's aides came amid speculation this summer that he was leaning against a run, due in part to reports that he was raising money for private-equity ventures when other potential candidates were visiting early-primary states.
Attention among some in the GOP returned to Mitt Romney, the party's nominee in 2012, who has said he is "not running,'' but has allowed that "circumstances can change.'' Messrs. Bush and Romney would compete for a similar set of fundraisers and political hands.
Many donors are both looking for a signal of intent from Mr. Bush but also are happy to stay on the sidelines until after the midterm elections, when the field will start to crystallize. For them, Mr. Bush's indecision is helpful.
"It's frozen the field a bit, in that it's a convenient excuse for finance people to stay neutral and wait to commit," said Republican strategist Dave Carney, a top adviser toRick Perry's 2012 campaign who worked in the White House for George W. Bush.
"It's not like Jeb would walk into the race and clear the field, but his gravitas and fundraising network makes him a first-class competitor," Mr. Carney said.
In addition to keeping potential donors and supporters on deck, Mr. Bush is taking other steps that typically precede a presidential campaign: traveling the country, engaging in public policy debates and raising money for his party.
A newly established fundraising committee allows him to funnel donations from his financial backers to GOP candidates key to winning a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Mr. Bush is slated to headline a Sept. 23 event in Tampa that organizers hope will raise as much as $1 million for GOP Senate candidates Cory Gardner in Colorado, Joni Ernst in Iowa, Monica Wehby in Oregon, Tom Cotton in Arkansas and Dan Sullivan in Alaska. A Bush aide said the goal was $500,000.
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