According to a report in the Washington Examiner, Mitt Romney is a lot closer to considering another run for the White House than you might think. But it depends about what another Republican — Jeb Bush — opts to do that will predicate his decision.All eyes remain on the former Florida governor, who won't make any formal announcement about his political future until after the November midterm elections, at the earliest. Nearly eight years since he last served in office, Bush is making the rounds raising funds for GOP candidates around the country, including a major fundraiser in Tampa earlier this week that featured several of the best-known GOP Senate candidates (like Tom Cotton from Arkansas, Monica Wehby from Oregon and Joni Ernst in Iowa).
But while Mittens apparently feels that Jeb is the only other Republican besides himself who can take down Hillary Clinton in 2016, would Bush really be the choice of the rank-and-file Republican primary?
The New York Timesreports this morning that at a fundraiser in Greensboro yesterday for North Carolina Senate aspirant Thom Tillis, Tillis "gently put distance between himself and his guest of honor," regarding Jeb's views on immigration and Common Core.
That's because Bush's positions on those two major issues are out of step with the base of the GOP. That wasn't the case in 2006 when he left office, but post-Tea Party, it certainly is.
Maybe I'm wrong on that, which is why it would be fascinating for Bush to go for it and run and see how he plays in Iowa, South Carolina and the other crucial states next year. Republicans are hungry to win the White House again, and Bush's views on immigration makes him a better general election candidate with Hispanics than Romney certainly, but again, are those the views of the majority of Republicans? Stay tuned.
In other news…
A transportation summit was held yesterday in the Carillon area of St. Petersburg yesterday; that included a discussion of how technology is affecting transportation - like app-based companies like Uber and Lyft. Outside the Marriott Hotel, a handful of Tampa-based taxi cab drivers, upset that Uber has been undercutting their profession, ranted.
And read more about Pinellas County Republican state Representative Kathleen Peters, as she vies to be re-elected.