How Conservative Media Responded To Jeb Bush's 2016 Presidential Bid Announcement

Written by Connor Land & Olivia Kittel

Published

Right-wing media lobbed harsh criticism and conspiracy theories at Jeb Bush in response to his decision to “actively explore” a 2016 presidential bid, even urging more conservative Republicans to run against him.

Jeb Bush Announced Intention To “Actively Explore” 2016 Presidential Bid

Jeb Bush Will “Actively Explore” 2016 Presidential Candidacy. On December 16, Jeb Bush announced plans to “actively explore” the possibility of running for president in 2016.  [NBCNews.com, 12/16/14]

Right-Wing Media Respond With Harsh Criticism, Calls For Conservative Challengers, Threat To Throw Election

Rush Limbaugh: Jeb's 2016 Bid “Could Be A Sacrificial Run” To Keep A Conservative From Winning The Nomination. On the December 16 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show, Rush Limbaugh speculated that Jeb Bush's 2016 presidential bid is an attempt to prevent a true conservative from winning the GOP nomination:

LIMBAUGH: Do you want to know why Jeb Bush is thinking of running? I'll give you a poss -- including the fact that he may actually want to be president, he may actually want to do this -- but he's also being looked at as a savior by the big money donor class and the consultant class, the establishment of the party, to head-off the Tea Party. They're going to pull out all the stops to make sure that a Tea Party-type conservative doesn't get the nomination. And if that means -- somebody like Jeb -- it could be a sacrificial run just to make sure that a conservative doesn't get the nomination in 2016. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 12/16/14]

Limbaugh: Jeb Bush Is Going To Run For President “By Ignoring The Base.” Limbaugh went on to claim that Bush is trying to prove the GOP can win the nomination without pandering to the conservative or Tea Party base. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 12/16/14]

Laura Ingraham: Republicans Need “Sound, Strong, Courageous” Conservative To Run Against Bush. On the December 16 edition of Courtside Entertainment Group's The Laura Ingraham Show, Laura Ingraham argued that Bush was not conservative, and so the Republican party “must” produce a “sound, strong, courageous alternative” conservative “disciplined enough” to run against Bush. [Courtside Entertainment Group, The Laura Ingraham Show, 12/16/14]

Fox News Host Called On Jeb Bush To “Rebrand Himself.” On the December 16 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, co-host Kennedy responded to Bush's potential bid by saying “he has to rebrand himself because people are over the political dynasties.” [Fox News, Outnumbered, 12/16/14]

Donald Trump: “The Last Thing We Need Is Another Bush.” On the December 16 edition of Fox's Your World, frequent Fox guest Donald Trump respond to Jeb Bush's announcement by arguing that “the last thing we need is another Bush.” Trump added, “I've had it with the Bushes.” [Fox News, Your World with Neil Cavuto, 12/16/14]

The American Conservative: “Extremely Unlikely” Bush Will Win Republican Nomination. The American Conservative's Daniel Larison wrote that although Bush's announcement “comes as no surprise,” the decision is “still a bit strange” because “there's no particular need” for Bush to run:

The GOP is awash in plausible candidates, so there is no particular need to have ex-governors from a decade ago jumping into the contest. Yes, this is probably his last opportunity to run for president with any remotely realistic chance of becoming the nominee, but that window arguably already closed for him years ago. Depending on how strong residual anti-Bush sentiment is in the country, it may have closed as soon as his brother was re-elected. That isn't his only problem. [The American Conservative, 12/16/14]

Charles Johnson Highlights Bush's Past To Undermine Credibility. In a tweet, conservative journalist Charles Johnson highlighted Bush's history supporting amnesty, emphasized that a past business partner was jailed for corruption, and accused Bush of flip-flopping on policy positions from the 1990s to undermine Bush's credibility as a presidential candidate:

[Twitter.com, 12/16/14]

Breitbart.com's Matthew Boyle: “Conservatives Won't Show Up” If Bush Gets GOP Nomination. Breitbart.com's Matthew Boyle tweeted that conservatives will not show up to vote for Jeb Bush should he win the GOP nomination:

[Twitter.com, 12/16/14]

Breitbart.com Senior Editor-At-Large Ben Shapiro: “Six Reasons Conservatives Oppose Jeb.” In a December 16 column, Breitbart.com editor-at-large Ben Shapiro detailed “the top six reasons many conservatives oppose Jeb,” labeling Bush “too moderate” to win over the conservative base. [Breitbart.com, 12/16/14]

Shapiro Mocks “GOP Geniuses” Who Support Bush. In a December 16 tweet, Breitbart's Ben Shapiro mocked the “GOP geniuses” that support Bush in 2016: 

[Twitter.com, 12/16/14]

Michelle Malkin: "#stopjebbush." Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin responded to Bush's announcement by tweeting "#stopjebbush #stopcommoncore #NOAmnesty":

[Twitter.com, 12/16/14]

Media Research Center's Dan Gainor: “On No Planet” Is Jeb Bush Conservative. Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture for the conservative Media Research Center, tweeted that “On no planet is @JebBush conservative”:

[Twitter.com, 12/16/14]

TownHall's Matt Vespa: “NOOOOOOOOO!” Townhall.com editor Matt Vespa lamented Jeb Bush's announcement in a December 16 tweet:

[Twitter.com, 12/16/14]