Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is getting a lot of attention lately and many are anxiously awaiting for him to announce his run for presidential candidacy in 2016. Many are wondering if Bush would have what it takes to win in 2016 considering the obstacles he’ll have to overcome to achieve a successful run. This week, news reports have surfaced that Bush supporters were already launching a campaign in Florida to secure his nomination.
What are some of his obstacles? First, he has to win the support of his own party. It has been noted that Jeb Bush isn’t as far right as many other Republicans, and while this may help him in the general election it will hurt him in the primaries. It’s going to be hard to garner support of the Republican base when he doesn’t have much support from the far right. Some have called Bush a “liberal Republican”, and while that may sound like good news to some, it really scares off a large portion of conservative voters.
Bush’s other big hurdle? Marco Rubio, if he runs, will be another contender for the Republican nomination. Bush’s biggest asset is his experience. Meanwhile, his potential opponent Rubio is younger and more conservative,  but less experienced.
If Bush can obtain that nomination, his next big hurdle will be getting over the legacy of his brother, George. Many moderate and liberal Americans still have a distrust for Jeb’s brother and it will be interesting to see if he defends his brother’s record or if he distances himself from Bush 43. Not only that, many people dislike the fact that the Bush family has so much political power and influence. The reason that may not be such an issue in the general election is due to the fact that they may very well end up running against the Clinton dynasty.
The 2016 presidential elections will be interesting, especially for Florida. I will be waiting to see when Bush finally announces his run for election, and I hope he announces with a little more class than with a tweet to his followers (like Ted Cruz).  In the end, I think Bush has what it takes to be the Republican presidential nominee of 2016.