Jeb Bush: Man, I Regret Not Running For POTUS

Daniel Doherty | June 07, 2012 12:11 PM

I’m sure Jeb Bush himself isn’t the only conservative wishing he had heeded his brother’s advice.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said in an interview airing Thursday that he probably should have run for president in 2012, but wouldn’t rule out a run in the future.
“This was probably my time,” Bush told “CBS This Morning,” referring to the ongoing presidential campaign. “There’s a window of opportunity, in life, and for all sorts of reasons.

Bush also wondered whether he would have fared well in today’s Republican Party.

“Although I don’t know, given what I believe and how I believe it, I’m not sure I would have been successful as a candidate, either. These are different times than just six years ago, when I last ran, or even longer than that,” he said.

I suppose there’s at least one good reason Jeb Bush ultimately decided not to run for president in 2012: his last name. After all, there have only been two father-son presidencies in American history. Thus, the chances George H.W. Bush’s second eldest son could have clinched the Republican nomination and retaken the White House (just four years after his brother left office) seem exceedingly slim. It’s also worth noting, too, that according to a CNN poll released Thursday, George W. Bush is the least popular living ex-president. While this is to be expected -- and his approval rating will likely rise over time -- I seriously doubt the American people are ready for another Bush presidency. In any case, since the former Florida governor will not be The One's successor, is he at least open to the idea of serving as Mitt Romney’s running mate? Apparently not.

“I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to be asked. And it’s not going to happen. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a voice. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to enthusiastically support Mitt Romney. I intend to do that, I’m doing it,” Bush said. “He’s got a great list of candidates that I’m sure he’s thinking about.”