Editorials

Even Jeb cannot make magic for Mitt Romney

Mary Jo Melone
Published: March 23, 2012

The Oracle of Miami has spoken.

Jeb Bush has endorsed Mitt Romney. And everybody else is supposed to fall in line.

"Primary elections have been held in 34 states," Bush intoned, "and now is the time for Republicans to unite behind Governor Romney."

Roughly translated from oracle-speak, this means, "Rick! Newt! Sit down and shut up!"

Santorum dismissed the news, as just a case of another member of the GOP establishment backing Romney. Gingrich, in his alternate lunar universe, may not have heard about it.

Bush may find it difficult to corral these two, but what does he do with those on the far, far right?

In his terse four-sentence statement, Bush tried to ignore them. He didn't make a peep about birth control pills, trans-vaginal wands, light bulbs, birth certificates, voter fraud, socialism or Sharia law. He didn't even proclaim, "Drill, baby, drill."

Just as mercifully, he did not discuss red meat, playing to the base, turning off the base, delegate counts, white evangelicals, severe conservatives, Ronald Reagan, or the height of trees in Michigan.

Instead, Bush focused on that dull business about "fiscal conservatism," "job creation," and "entrepreneurial capitalism," thank God.

It's enough to make you feel almost sorry for the guy. Bush may be his party's Grand young-Old Poobah, but even he cannot make magic. He has the same problem that John Boehner has; he cannot lead people who are so convinced of their righteousness that they don't realize they're talking only to themselves while everybody else rolls their eyes.

Even Bush's mother is upset. She has called the last several months "the worst campaign I've ever seen in my life."

Now along comes Jeb to ask that everybody act nice and dignified.

Good luck, Governor.

Under pressure from the fringe, Bush's candidate has lurched so far to the right that he has vowed to end Planned Parenthood, which he doesn't run; repeal Obamacare, which he originated in Massachusetts, and replace a president who has destroyed America's standing in the world. Bin Laden. What happened to that Bin Laden guy?

Yes, Jeb Bush is going to have to tell even Mitt to act nice and dignified in hopes the public will forget these past several goofy months. But people have memories, and the president has a Super PAC of his own. Jeb and the GOP establishment have plenty of muscle, certainly. But muzzles, in this case, would be more useful.

Mary Jo Melone, former columnist with the Tampa Bay Times, is a writer in Tampa. © Florida Voices