Phil Ammann
Few can argue that Jeb Bush has qualities that could appeal to Hispanic voters.
Bush speaks fluent Spanish; his wife, Columba, is from Mexico. He spent a couple years in Venezuela, taking in the people and culture.
Although Bush was born in Texas, a member of one of America’s leading political families, the former governor can go overboard with Spanish-speaking voters, by claiming he is actually Hispanic.
According to Alan Rappeport of The New York Times, Bush identified as Hispanic in the “race/ethnicity” field on a 2009 Miami–Dade County voter-registration application.
Voters must present a physical application with a signature before issued a voter information card, said Miami-Dade deputy supervisor of elections Carolina Lopez. The hard copy confirms such information as address and polling location. The Florida Division of Elections requires the application to have an original signature, which has the applicant swearing or affirming under oath.
Under Florida law, signatures, driver’s license number and Social Security number are redacted.
Claiming he is Hispanic could have been an oversight, but in the heat of a presidential campaign, heritage — particularly Bush’s — could become an important issue.
In 2012, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts faced accusations about self-identifying as Native American. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was born in Canada, leading many to question his eligibility.
This year, Univision referred to Bush as “Hispanic candidate.” Rappeport also predicted an active outreach to Hispanic voters in 2016, but as long as Bush does not forget who he really is.
