Jeb Bush Highlights His History — But Not That History

Joe Raedle / Getty

MIAMI — In a presidential campaign announcement speech that highlighted hopeful messages about the future, Jeb Bush also focused heavily on his own past as Florida governor. It's a past that's largely distinct from the political dynasty he came from.

A large portion of Bush's announcement speech, given in a gymnasium at Miami Dade College, was devoted to his record as governor, a position he has not held since 2007.

"We will lift our sights again, make opportunity common again, get events in the world moving our way again," Bush said. “We will take Washington — the static capital of this dynamic country — out of the business of causing problems. We will get back on the side of free enterprise and free people. I know we can fix this. Because I’ve done it."

Bush said he had been a "reforming governor, not just another member of the club."

“There’s no passing off responsibility when you’re a governor, no blending into the legislative crowd or filing an amendment and calling that success," he said, contrasting his record with other presidential candidates who are senators.

"We made Florida number one in job creation and number one in small business creation. 1.3 million new jobs, 4.4% growth, higher family income, eight balanced budgets, and tax cuts eight years in a row that saved our people and businesses 19 billion dollars," he said. "All this plus a bond upgrade to Triple-A compared to the sorry downgrade of America’s credit in these years. That was the commitment, and that is the record that turned this state around."

Given less attention in the speech: his brother and father, both former presidents, who were also a source of political experience for Bush since he was involved in their campaigns. Neither George W. Bush nor George H.W. Bush attended the launch event. Bush did thank both his parents, but only named his mother. Throughout Bush's quasi-campaign for the past few months, he has tried to balance the fact that he comes from one of the most powerful families in Republican politics with his quest to be seen as his own man, and a different kind of candidate — "the new Republican party," as one of his introduction speakers, Florida state senator Don Gaetz, described him on Monday. He's cautiously started to embrace his family's political legacy again, telling potential donors last month that his brother George W. Bush was his top advisor on Israel policy.

But on Monday, there wasn't much mention of his family's legacy at the announcement event, which was packed with supporters who have known him and supported him since his days as governor.

"My family's been friends with him for like 30 years," said Lourdes Carroll, a retiree from Miami. "My mom and dad have been friends for a long time, and I support his positions."

Sean Donnelly, a 20-year-old student, rode his bike to get to the event because "I really wanted to be here."

"He has the experience and the qualities that work. They worked for Florida and they can work for the United States," he said. "He's real and he's not fake, unlike Hillary Clinton." Donnelly's parents support Jeb as well, he said.

Bush's deep roots in the state, which he came to as a young man and developed into his own political stronghold apart from his family's history in the Northeast and, later, Texas, were on display at the launch event, which was filled with current and former Florida politicians. Bush's former lieutenant governor Toni Jennings spoke before he took the stage, as well as Gaetz. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and other notables were in attendance. The display of support from Florida's Republican establishment served as both a reminder of Bush's past as governor and, more subtly, as a show of strength vis-a-vis Marco Rubio, the other Florida candidate. A few days ago, Bush received the endorsements of most of the Florida Republican congressional delegation.

"If this isn't the Republican establishment of Florida — you're not Floridian, are you? Whoever is missing from here, I don't know who it is, but this is the establishment," said former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez. "This was the establishment of the Republican Party of Florida, my goodness."

Of Rubio, Martinez said "I just think that Jeb is the guy who's prepared today" and that he doesn't want to "take a chance on someone who has not had the depth of experience" that Bush has had.

"I think he doesn't want to take anything for granted," Martinez said of Bush's decision not to mention his family a lot. "I don't think he wants anyone to think that he presumes that because of who he is, his family, that anything is going to be given to him."

"I've been dying for him to do what he did today, which is lay out his gubernatorial record, because I think it's something that's going to be very positive for him politically for the primary," Martinez said.