James Call
Jeb Bush brought a nascent presidential campaign — it’s in the “seriously-considering-a-potential-run” stage — Tuesday to Tallahassee. Florida’s former governor raised about $300,000 for his political action committee and basked in the adoration of supporters at an education summit.
The fundraiser was sponsored by some of Tallahassee’s leading lobbying firms, as was the education summit organized by Bush’s Foundation for Florida Future. Those attending at both events clearly expect Bush to run and Bush indicated if/when he makes the move it will be in the big hairy audacious goal-setting way he governed Florida 1999–2007 when he implemented accountability standards for schools, promoted private-school vouchers for students of failing public schools, and did away with away with affirmative action in state contracting and university admissions.
“If I go beyond the consideration of running, the kind of campaign that could be is one that is front and center driven by a digital media platform that allows ideas to be shared directly with people,” Bush said. “I think of having two-way communication with people and share some powerful ideas that will lift people’s spirits and make their lives better.”
Bush appears to be already doing that. He has released tens of thousands of email messages from his time as governor and the first chapter of an e-book about his administration. He formed a political action committee called Right to Rise. And the PAC’s name echoes his comments about education as a tool to lift people out of poverty.
Joanne McCall, a vice president of the teachers union, the Florida Education Association, expects Bush to campaign for president as an education reformer. She characterized the summit as a way of preserving Bush’s legacy as an education reformer while Florida has experienced “15 years of failed reforms and a system that is crumbling.”
The FEA is fighting in court to overturn a Bush-era private-school voucher program.
About 20 protestors stood outside of the education meeting holding signs portraying Bush as a threat to public education. Inside, though, inside House Speaker Steve Crisafulli told the summit that Florida will not “retreat” from Bush-era accountability and choice initiatives
When Bush addressed the summit he said the focus for public schools should be on children learning, and then turned to one of the education battles he lost as governor — the class-size amendment. Bush suggested taking the money from it to reward effective teachers rather than build buildings. The amendment was passed with FEA support over Bush’s objections.
“I’m just talking a little blue sky, trying to provoke a little thought. I know that’s something that is really frowned upon these days but you know me,” Bush said.
Then the former governor took off on a riff indicating his candidacy is all but announced and that he appears to be looking forward to debating his record and proposals.
“That’s what ideas are about. Take ideas that may not be popular – they were controversial when we started … but a lot of kids got a better chance at learning because we challenged the system,” Bush said. “There’s a story to be told there. And it’s a story about leadership. And it’s a story of taking conservative principles and ideas and acting on them, not just talking about them.”
