Back in the early days of the 2014 football season, the Green Bay Packers were 1-2. Fans were upset. Head management started updating their resumes. Things were not looking good. After receiving a loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions — yes, you can understand the Pack’s frustration — quarterback Aaron Rodgers told the cheesehead faithful to "R-E-L-A-X." Rodgers calmly told the media and Green Bay nation everything will be all right. And he was right. The team finished 12-4, captured first place in the NFC North and went to the NFC Championship.
Now, segueing back into an arena I’m more comfortable with, I’m here to give a Rodgers-esque reassurance to all of my friends, fellow campaign volunteers and Republican nation at large. Jeb Bush is fine. Things will be OK. Relax.
The accounts of Jeb’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, my preferred candidate has had a rocky few months. Yes, his debate performances have not been extremely exciting; The Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan said his debate demeanor reminds her of a "pleasant, bespectacled man who’s actually thinking about dinner." And, yes, some on his staff and some of his donors are bristling under adversity. But rest assured, Jeb’s campaign is still viable and he is still the conservative choice for president. Again, everyone: Relax.
To start my argument off, I won’t address the fact that his campaign has raised the most super-PAC money of all presidential candidates. Surely when attack-ad season rolls around, Jeb’s PACs will successfully defend the governor’s record and attack his opponents relentlessly.
However, Jeb’s tone and temperament — the two areas for which he’s been most criticized — will make his presidential hopes a reality. Just look at his campaign foes. Donald Trump is a rhetorical pyromaniac. Everything he says is incendiary. Ben Carson, now first in many polls, is wildly defending the fact that he tried to hit his mom over the head with a hammer, had a violent childhood and once had a West Point scholarship, contrary to the media’s fact-checking from childhood friends. Yeah, this is nuts.
And Marco Rubio, Sen. MIA, is using his speaking time to deflect his distaste for the Senate and his failure to show up for votes and committee meetings. You know, all of the things an effective leader should be deflecting.
Here’s where Jeb comes in. While good candidates match the mood of the time — Trump and Ted Cruz match the shared frustration of the country — great leaders project a hopeful and achievable image of the future. Jeb, again with Rodgers-esque composure, marries a strong future vision with a proven record. During his first speech as a presidential candidate, he said, "We will take command of our future once again in this country. We will lift our sights again, make opportunity common again, get events in the world moving our way again. We will take Washington — the static capital of this dynamic country — out of the business of causing problems. We will get back on the side of free enterprise and free people. I know we can fix this. Because I’ve done it." Not many candidates can say that message and back it up.
And Jeb IS the conservative choice. Saying he is a moderate squish is inaccurate. Jeb‘s proposed income tax rate is 28 percent and the corporate rate is 20 percent — both lower than W’s proposals. He wants to make the insurance market more competitive with fewer government regulations. Jeb promotes school choice, especially for lower-income Americans. He wants a more skill-based immigration system. And he is unabashedly pro-life. Jeb has proven himself time and time again on his conservative record, despite critics saying the contrary.
Jeb is a proven conservative with a stellar record any Republican would dream of possessing. His message is optimistic and his love of this country is palpable. Yes, he is not flashy and can be a bit introverted. But he is the only candidate who can calmly and faithfully execute the duties of president of the U.S.
To all the naysayers, I can only say once more: Relax. Jeb’s got this.
Michael Beato is a UF political science senior. His column appears on Mondays.
