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Mitt versus Jeb 2016 – If forced to pick one (Reader Poll)

Mitt versus Jeb 2016 – If forced to pick one (Reader Poll)

Establishment or establishment? The choice is yours. And you MUST vote.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2012/March/Jeb-Bush-Endorses-Romney-as-GOP-Nominee/

Alright Team Insurrection, it’s time for another reader poll.

Philip Rucker and Robert Costa of the Washington Post are speculating about a political collision between Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney if they both run in 2016:

For Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, a history of ambition fuels a possible 2016 collision

Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney have much in common. Both were pragmatic as governors, mild-mannered as candidates and more comfortable balancing budgets at their desks than clinking glasses at a political dinner.

The two Republican leaders’ personal rapport is cordial. But they are hardly chummy — and at moments their relationship has been strained, with each man’s intertwined political network carrying some grievances with the other’s.

As Bush, 61, and Romney, 67, explore presidential campaigns in 2016, they are like boxers warming up for what could become a brutal bout, sizing each other up and mulling whether or when to step into the ring.

Their early maneuvering reveals a level of competitiveness and snippiness that stems from a long history following similar career paths in business and politics prescribed by their dynastic families.

“We’re seeing the first shots of the war between clan Romney and clan Bush,” said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist who has worked for both men. “Both bring to the battle incredibly powerful fan clubs as well as wounds they have to heal. How ugly could it get? You’re only competing to lead the free world.”

This is a fight for money as much as politics and the hunt for big donors is already on.

Bush has been trying to consolidate support among establishment donors, leaders and operatives since announcing in December that he would begin laying the groundwork for a likely campaign.

“The Bush connection is a centrifugal force, and it’s drawing back a whole generation of public servants and politicos,” said former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, one of Romney’s 2012 opponents.

But on Friday, Romney sought to slam the brakes on Bush, telling about 30 powerful donors that he, too, was seriously considering a 2016 bid. “I want to be president,” he said, adding that his wife, Ann, was supportive.

Romney has begun methodically calling donors, staff members and endorsers from his two prior campaigns to measure how deep his reservoir of support would be if he runs for a third time, his advisers said.

Michael Barbaro of the New York Times seems to be on team Jeb, even giving him the “evolving views” treatment on political issues:

For Jeb Bush, Evolving Views Over 2 Decades

Jeb Bush once called for building prisons and emphasizing “punishment over therapy” for juvenile offenders. Today, he supports reforming the criminal justice system, arguing that incarceration can harden low-level lawbreakers into career criminals.

In the past, he stressed using deportation to rid the United States of unauthorized immigrants. These days, he describes crossing the border illegally as “an act of love” by migrant parents and supports a path to citizenship for those who have done so.

He used to emphasize the rights of big landowners who felt cheated by environmental programs. Now, he is a champion of state-sponsored conservation, celebrated for his $2 billion program to restore the Everglades.

Mr. Bush, 61, the former governor of Florida, insists that he will not contort himself to satisfy the ideologues of the Republican Party as he lays the groundwork for a possible presidential run in 2016.

So if it came down to Jeb or Mitt, who would you pick?

You do not have any other choices.

Imagine you were held hostage in the voting booth and the only way you could get out was to pick one. Killing yourself in the voting booth to avoid choosing is not an option.

Poll open until Midnight Eastern on Monday, January 12, 2015


[Featured Image via CBN News]

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