I have no idea if Jeb Bush has ever been to Nigeria or if he has an interest in that country. However, when I read an article about election absurdities taking place in Nigeria, as improbable as it sounds, I thought of Governor Bush.
On the surface, this sounds ridiculous. It may be no more than a journey in stream of consciousness, but hear me out. Here is some background. Nuhu Ribadu is a crusader who was appointed chairman of an anti-corruption commission in 2001. At that time, his country ranked 274th out of 275 countries on the corruption calculus. He worked diligently, but his work ended when two of his staff died in unsolved murders, others quit in exhaustion and he fled to a neighboring country to avoid being assassinated. He recently returned and (unsuccessfully) ran for election as part of the party that he once called, “government of the greedy, by the greedy and for the greedy.” He decided that the system is corrupt and that the only way to reform it was from the inside – even if he needed to go counter to his principles and use bribery to get on the inside.
I don’t see any parallels in this to Jeb Bush. However – the argument I hear from those I would call establishment Republicans, is that we must work within the system. Certainly, Republicans and conservatives on the whole believe in the Constitution and want to defend it. Certainly, our system, with all its flaws, bears no resemblance to Nigeria or many other countries. Yet a sea change has taken place. The current administration does not feel beholden to the Constitution. The Democrat Party bears little resemblance to the Democrat Party of Patrick Moynihan, Scoop Jackson, and John Kennedy, all of whom, I believe, would have repudiated much of the illegal, Obama onslaught. The Republican Party, on the other hand wants, at best, to be the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan. It bears too much resemblance to the Republican Party of Bob Dole and Mitt Romney.
I have serious disagreements with Jeb Bush on Common Core and on immigration. I find his comments on Loretta Lynch’s nomination to be misplaced. I greatly admired his stand on Terri Schiavo and admire things he did in Florida. In normal times, if he treated our differences respectfully (sadly, I haven’t heard an apology for when he didn’t), I could be persuaded to support him as the nominee even if he would not be my first choice.
These are not normal times! President Obama, with the support of his party, is turning this country into one that is unrecognizable to many of us. If he is changing the landscape by 140 degrees, Jeb Bush types are only capable of turning the wheel back by 20 or so degrees. That simply isn’t good enough. I don’t know Nuhu Ribadu other than from one or two articles I read. He is working on taking a super corrupt country and moving it in a better direction. Maybe he is doing the right thing by trying to work within the corruption, maybe he isn’t. Our country however, is currently drastically betraying and abandoning a precious and fantastic system. We need a drastic rejection of that betrayal, not someone whose candidacy suggests that we’re confronting normal challenges and that slightly adjusting one gear or another is all that is needed. Even if I’m wrong and Common Core is the greatest educational innovation since the printing press, it is placing a cast on the leg of a patient who is bleeding to death.
I think a successful candidate will need to be powerful, radical, and incredibly wily and articulate. I’m looking for a revolutionary conservative and I think the rest of the country is as well. He or she is going to be tarred and feathered, labeled as racist and evil by an opposition desperate to keep this country from having an intelligent, honest conversation. The attack will bear little resemblance to reality. It will take wisdom, principle, courage and passion to give America a fighting chance. It will take out of the box thinking, charm, pugnaciousness and agility. Above all, it will need a leader who draws his wisdom and vision from God and who is unashamed of his Biblical commitment. A Republican candidate with a deep bank account in the 2012 election allowed four more years of destruction. If we again grant the candidacy to whomever has the most affluent donor base and fund-raising machine, we may truly lose the war.
Indeed. Your comments section gets my attention like most others do not!
Amazing insight. The kind of sloppy thinking you illustrate here is all around us these days. Many use it entirely to their advantage. Others just think that this is the way to think. Together, the two groups make a formidable threat to our families, freedom, and country.
James, I did not hear about this, but you really are onto something. This encapsulates the a major difference between how leaders view their positions of power: “The man recently said on national news: “When I took this office I swore an oath to do what I thought best for the United States.” NO, Mr. President. You swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.”
Your comparison of today’s USA to Nigeria is quite apt in a way. For El Presidente and his Tammany Hall Machine of mindless, power-grabbing statist bureaucrats are turning the USA into a Third World Nation quivering under a pall of crippling regulation and bureaucratic whim. The man recently said on national news: “When I took this office I swore an oath to do what I thought best for the United States.” NO, Mr. President. You swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. And you deliberately fudged the words of your oath to seal the bargain. You lied. You regard our righteous Constitution as a stumbling block in the path of a despot.
What turns the knife in the wound is this poisonous lie that we must be Politically Correct. Good men fear to call a snake a snake, lest the News Media turn on them a barrage of flak in the form of damaging epithets and invective. Although my mother had an inkling such evil times were coming, I am glad she did not live to see them.
You are welcome. Of course, after I publish something, I usually think of what I left out. Fortunately, many of the comments raise good points as well.
This is so brilliantly clear. I have struggled to put some of these same feelings into accurate wording. Thanks for the kick start!
Karen – I like your phraseology describing a principled candidate, especially that he/she must be able to defend those unchanging principles.
I have heard of the book about Hilary, but really, I don’t need to read a book to know enough about her that I almost feel sorry for some of my Democrat friends that they have to ignore so much data in order to support her.
What we need is a principled candidate – principles are not “audience targeted” – are not based upon the latest polls – they are set in stone – and are defendable – regardless of the question – as long as one is rooted in them…..
As in 1 Peter – Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
or Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive,[he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
And while I recognize we are not on the same page (Biblically) – I think we can agree on the “sentiment” of those verses from Peter…
Blessings to you and thank you for your wisdom….
After we buy and read the book Clinton Cash by Peter Schweizer, we’ll have to read Peter Schweizer’s next book on Jeb.
In the meantime, he has other books that he has written.
I had no idea this Musing posted already – thanks for commenting so promptly so I found out. I haven’t read the NR article on Wisconsin but I have read a bit about it in the WSJ. I wish I could say it is unbelievable, but sadly it isn’t.
These are not normal times! President Obama, with the support of his party, is turning this country into one that is unrecognizable to many of us. If he is changing the landscape by 140 degrees, Jeb Bush types are only capable of turning the wheel back by 20 or so degrees. That simply isn’t good enough.
AMEN Susan. I agree with everything you have written! The only thing I would add is from Joshua. A strong and courageous man who bases his decisions in righteousness. Unfortunately, history is not on our side.
I am from Wisconsin and we are reeling from the John Doe treachery (go to National Review to read the article). Our progressive opponents are “hell bent” literally. They will use anything they can to gain power. 20 degrees is totally unacceptable!
Thank you for this piece. So well written and thought out.