Jeb Bush Has It Right... PERIOD.

According to the Washington Wire Gov. Jeb Bush is considering a run for Senate. Sen. Mel Martinez R-FL, a one term Senator, has decided not to seek re-election in 2010. Unlike his brother, Gov. Bush remains popular in Florida.

Since the Republican failure in November, Gov. Bush has been extremely vocal about his disagreements with the party. He and I share almost the same view of what the GOP's problem is and what they need to do about it. He makes some astute observations in his recent Newsmax.com interview.

Bush makes a simple statement from a plain observation that many local and state GOP leaders refuse to realize. He advocates that the GOP must broaden its appeal to avoid becoming “the old white-guy party".

“You’ve got to do the hard work. That means grass-roots organization. It means listening to the base of the party. It means voter registration. It means turn-out operations. It means recruiting candidates that look like the population we’re trying to attract to our cause. Those things seem to have waned in the last couple years.”

Perhaps most importantly, Bush said, the party must confront the nation’s changing demographics.

“We can’t ignore large segments of our population and expect to win,” Bush said. “We can’t be the ‘old white-guy’ party. It’s just not going to work, the demographics go against us in that regard.

This is the 'invitation only' party that I have been talking about. Bush then speaks about the Hispanic vote. He, like others, recognizes that the Hispanic vote is and will continue to make an impact on American politics. Republicans lost this year in part because Hispanics did not give a sustainable amount of votes to them. One reason is the GOP's harsh rhetoric used in the immigration debate. Bush expands on the Hispanic vote and immigration.

“Among Hispanic voters, I think we need to change the tone of the conversation as it relates to immigration. In Florida, we’ve not participated much in the chest pounding and the yelling and the screaming. I mean, it just drives me nuts when there are substantive policy differences that we can show mutual respect on, but the tone needs to change. And I think we need to recruit more candidates who share our values in the Hispanic community. In Florida we’ve done that.”

In New Mexico we haven't! When I've made statements similar to Gov. Bush's, I am nearly ostracized from a party that doesn't like a 21 year old political light weight making embarrassing observations. Governor Jeb Bush gets it, New Mexico Republicans don't. State leadership must work to remake the 'big tent' party in order to shed their 'invitation only' party image.

The Politics of Resentment

Jim Scarantino has a quality piece discussing the 'spread the wealth' topic between John McCain and Barack Obama this past election. The GOP must keep their ears open to such analysis in order to truly understand the expanding working class electorate. It makes some sense, check it out.

It's Official!

King Bill will be leaving New Mexico to become an Obama bureaucrat! Richardson will be Secretary of the Commerce once confirmed by Congress. This is good news for us all, Republican and Democrat. Richardson used New Mexico as a presidential spring board during the bleak Bush era. He failed in his presidential run, vice-presidential run, and secretary of state run... commerce secretary is a conciliatory prize. Vayan con Obama Governor!

New Kid On The Block... Sort Of

A new candidate is making a run for GOP chairman. Former State Representative John Padoven has forwarded an email announcing his candidacy. Padoven was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1977 and served two terms. He then moved to California to work in computer software and later business consulting. The following seems to be his platform.

During the following weeks before the Chairman’s election on January 10th, you will receive information answering questions on why John Padoven is running for State Chairman. You will also receive very specific information on where he would like the party to evolve in the years ahead.

John knows fully well that he cannot act alone. A partnership with the Republican State Central Committee is essential for our Party’s success. It will be a democratic partnership based on ideas and how ideas should be implemented.

If elected, John will open a telephone hot line for Central Committee members to use in sharing their ideas and concerns. Active and open communications will hopefully diminish internal conflicts that only harm our party casting shadows over our common goal, which is to become the majority party in New Mexico.

John will also meet with every Central Committee member, in the members home town where he can visit not only with you, but your families. Doing so will allow John to know who you are and what motivates you personally and politically. It will also give you a chance to know him.

I do not know Mr. Padoven but I am glad to see he is running. At this point I am not supporting anyone because I am not a state central committee member. If I was a member I don't know who I would support, the other two candidates are same old business party insiders. The state GOP is continuing to be the invitation only party that loses election after election. Real smart.

AHD