How to beat Jeb Bush in a general election?

[RBInMaine]

I want a rigorous primary, but I still think Hillary will win. The Republicans' likely nominee is Jeb. He has the money. How do we beat Jeb in the general election? Your thoughts?

[Smithryee]

1. Bernie Sanders wins the nomination, easily defeats any Republican...

with brutal truth in debates.

[leftofcool]

8. Nope. Bernie loses 49 states.

[Smithryee]

11. Hillary loses 50.

Easily.

[FarPoint]

31. You are just posting your feelings.

She does not have such polling result.

[trueblue2007]

35. You lose here are DU

Hillary is our candidate ..... get over it.

[RBInMaine]

9. You're living in fantasy land. Bernie's a good man, but a snowball has a better chance in hell.

[Smithryee]

12. That snowball's chance in hell is going to continue growing as long as Hillary continues to defend

her corporatist/Third Way policies which are indefensible.

She is the author of TPP which is NAFTA on steroids and needs to be stopped before it causes damage to America.

[RBInMaine]

14. You're still in fantasy land. Nuff said.

[Smithryee]

15. Do not underestimate Bernie Sanders.

He'll be the flagbearer, not Hillary.

[BlueJazz]

26. I happened to be in Minnesota when most of the people laughed their asses off at Jessee Ventura.

"No fucking way" "Impossible" "Snowballs chance"

Yeah...Riiiight.

[yeoman6987]

2. I think pressing third Bush

Remind voters that two Democratic presidents had to clean it up. I don't think a second Clinton is as bad as a third Bush....that would be historic. We have had two family members as president throughout history but not 3.

[merrily]

27. You think "Second Clinton is not as bad as Third Bush" is enough? I don't.

If the race boils down to Clinton v. Bush, I think they'd both be advised to be quiet about that issue.

[yeoman6987]

32. Just in numbers only. I am just saying that we never had 3 family members as

President, but we have had 2 family members many times.

[merrily]

37. The only one I know before Poppy Bush was John Adams, our 2d President.

And, the situation in John Adams time was very, very different. To name just three things: (1) the educated population was almost infinitely smaller in John Adams day than it was in 2000, and only about 6% of the 1789 population could even vote, so the pool of potential candidates was almost unimaginably smaller than it is today; and (2) public service was a huge sacrifice. You had to ride back and forth from the capitol on horseback, leaving your wife and kids to fend for themselves on the farm, no 1700 people working at the white house every day, no photo ops, no Air Force One, etc.

So, you could almost take the Adams men out of the equation as a very very different situation from modern Presidents.

Robert Kennedy was going to try to follow JFK into the White House. Teddy, too. But neither happened.

[Warpy]

3. Point out what the last two Bushes did and ask people if they can survive a third

Then point out the track record of Democratic administrations.

It would be nice to offer America a raise, too, pointing out how Republicans have stonewalled those for decades.

[napi21]

7. I agree with your assessment. I think if people are reminded of the disasters that were created by

the 2 Bushies, mosr people will realize we don't need a third!

[jmowreader]

19. That won't be an issue to some Republican voters

Many people in my area think the disaster the 12-year Bush 41 administration inflicted on America was caused by Carter, and the disaster the 8-year Bush 43 administration inflicted on America was caused by Clinton.

Remember always: to a very loud percentage of America, It's Always A Democrat's Fault.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

23. Our candidate would also be remiss in noting

that almost all of Jeb's advisers (esp. in foreign policy) are the same people whom served his brother while in office and helped bring about, with Bush's knowledge, support, and/or consent, almost all of the disasters and debacles that we're still not done cleaning up now.

[merrily]

28. Yes, and also attack Jeb's record in Florida.

[Politicalboi]

4. Get a Supreme Court that will vote your way just in case

Impeach Fat Tony and Thomas for their special interest scandals. Or invite them to Rikers for their "special" lasagna. The surprise in the "Parmesan Cheese". Squeak! Squeak!

[merrily]

29. Too late. Republicans hold the majority in both Houses now.

[rock]

5. Run somebody/anybody against him

Practically guaranteed to win.

[Politicalboi]

6. Also easy voter registration, mail in ballots and most importantly

PAPER BALLOTS to be HAND counted in EVERY state and OPEN to the public.

[tularetom]

10. Run somebody other than Hillary Clinton against him

She won't campaign aggressively against any member of the Bush family, Bill is so tied into them.

Bush has a lot of skeletons in his closet that could be easily exploited, but Clinton is not the opponent to do it.

We need a candidate that will really take the gloves off.

[RBInMaine]

13. I disagree. She and her team will brutally attack any opponent.

[NPolitics1979]

16. Hillary will carry all of the Gore2000 and Kerry2004 states plus NV and CO

Minus FL-29,OH-18,and VA-13 =272 ev.

[blkmusclmachine]

17. How do you secure these things ~

[davidpdx]

18. Not true

"He has the money"

No, both Clinton and Bush have money. Clinton will have raised quite a bit even before she announces and will raise plenty more. I'm not worried about that.

Given she is the front-runner with no other serious D's running against her she's going to be a target for the next (almost) 19 months (576 days to be exact). While you are right that Bush will likely be the nominee, we won't know that until early next year. I hate to use the metaphor, but its like bringing a slingshot to a gunfight.

As to how to address the issue, I won't bother answering because all I will get back is the typical "Clinton-hater" dialog.

[BlueMTexpat]

20. If these do not already exist,

specific networks should be set up in states with strict voter ID requirements, to canvass those voters who need but cannot afford to pay for such IDs or who cannot travel to places where such IDs are issued.

I would be willing to contribute both to funds to pay for such IDs and/or to gas payments for those who can transport potential voters to ID issuing centers. I can't otherwise help on the ground because I generally do not live in the US.

While court challenges to strict voter ID requirements should continue, we should also try to finesse the issue by helping potential voters to comply with them. Further, we should make sure that these voters can get to the polls on voting day, if transportation is a problem, or help them to register for and receive absentee ballots in time to vote absentee.

[okaawhatever]

36. +1,000. The majority of Americans agree with Democratic policies, the majority of VOTING Americans

is another matter entirely. GOTV!!!

[EL34x4]

21. I don't think it'll be Jeb.

I predict Walker gets the GOP nomination.

[marble falls]

22. Bring up his record in FL.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

25. If the righties want to talk governmental tyranny

the Terri Schiavo matter, which Jeb was deeply personally involved in to an extreme and, perhaps even abusive way, should be deeply disturbing to them (though they will, of course, ignore THAT kind of executive abuse and focus instead on how tyrannical it is that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want all Americans to have access to health care)

[Jake Stern]

33. Didn't really hurt him in Florida and don't think it'll hurt him too much in the campaign

Jeb might even try to use it to his advantage by portraying himself as a leader willing to make tough decisions even when that decision is unpopular.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

34. Ah yes, he was just being "resolute" in the face of liberal would-be assassins of Terri Schiavo

I'm sure that Jeb's actions in the Schiavo matter won't hurt him at all with the GOP primary voters. Most people, however, as you might remember, weren't happy about George W. Bush's and the Republican Congress' meddling in that affair. That being said, memories are short and most people probably aren't very aware (yet) of Jeb's heavy-handed involvement in the matter as Governor of Florida at the time. Would it make a difference in the GE? Who knows? I dunno.

[Nay]

24. He's starting to beat himself. Just today in the local Hispanic newspaper, I read about the debacle

of Bush claiming to be Hispanic on those official census forms. Basically, he was not reported on favorably.

[libdem4life]

39. What was the report...have not heard of it.

[merrily]

30. Our Florida members should have some great throughts on this.

[Sunlei]

38. expose the corruption in Florida and his deals in real estate before he was Gov.

don't wait for any primary to give him huge baggage.

[kairos12]

40. Keep the election away from the SCOTUS.