In a long time, in the democratic world, have I seen, heard, or felt a party in such disarray as the Republican Party.
The Party looks and consists of a group of radio and TV commentators that sound like dealing with an America that does not exist anymore , a group of politicians in congress and few states governors that are lost and just wait and react to the Obama’s administration youthful and energetic agenda.
What happened to the Grand Old Party, and why it looks like a piece of ice that is evaporating so quickly that one cannot even know if it ever existed?
America in my opinion from the start of the year 2000 and until now has changed dramatically as no other great nation has changed in such sfort period of time.
America, the giant, the only super power, the dream place on earth, the Mecca of the suppressed and the hopeful from all over the world has been hit hard twice in less that 10 years.
The first hit to its pride came from the terrorists’ attacks of 09/11/2001 and the second one was the nature attack on New Orleans in 2005. The first attack shed the light on our vulnerability as an open society and injured our pride as the greatest nation on earth, a nation that we thought is away from the troubled world far from us. The second attack was from nature in the shape of floods that overcame our man made river barriers that some thought existed better in some developing countries.
These two attacks shaped the first 10 years of the 21 century and many of us still think that we could have prevented these two attacks, the first by having better security and coordination among the many security agencies and the second by just merely building better barriers by the shores of the river. The GOP led country fought and arguably prevailed against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and against Saddam in Iraq. The results were mixed, and the management of the after war in Iraq was terrible.
By the end of the Bush admiration, the country was hit by almost unprecedented economic crisis in its history. The Housing market collapsed and it dragged with it all other markets. The time could not have been more perfect for -as Senator Kennedy said in the Democratic convention - a new generation of Americans which reminded us all of the hopeful election and years of his brother John F Kennedy.
Obama was the answer. The GOP- on the other hand- Selected an elderly and seasoned Politician, John McCain, and McCain in a moment of desperation and maybe a Hail Mary shot, chose a young female Politician from Alaska. Governor Palin was a no match to Joe Biden and in many ways, she too shed the light -through interviews and insiders’ leaks- on the lack of Republican charismatic Politicians that could again capture the imagination of the American people as Ronald Reagan did.
Jeb Bush is the answer right now for the Republican Party. He is a Bush and not a Bush at the same time. He has always been different than his brother George W Bush and from his father the elder George Bush. He is a moderate, popular and has not been 'tainted' with wars or the economy his brother 'W' left the country struggling. He appeals to a wide spectrum of Americans including the rising power in American politics; the Hispanic population. He is married to an originally Mexican woman, he is bilingual English and Spanish and he is most importantly an inclusive Politician. We witnessed his skills in winning Florida’s governorship twice. Jeb Bush also by all accounts stayed away while governor of Florida from the only obstacle that he could face; the voting cards debacle in Florida during the first election of his brother against Al Gore.
The Party looks and consists of a group of radio and TV commentators that sound like dealing with an America that does not exist anymore , a group of politicians in congress and few states governors that are lost and just wait and react to the Obama’s administration youthful and energetic agenda.
What happened to the Grand Old Party, and why it looks like a piece of ice that is evaporating so quickly that one cannot even know if it ever existed?
America in my opinion from the start of the year 2000 and until now has changed dramatically as no other great nation has changed in such sfort period of time.
America, the giant, the only super power, the dream place on earth, the Mecca of the suppressed and the hopeful from all over the world has been hit hard twice in less that 10 years.
The first hit to its pride came from the terrorists’ attacks of 09/11/2001 and the second one was the nature attack on New Orleans in 2005. The first attack shed the light on our vulnerability as an open society and injured our pride as the greatest nation on earth, a nation that we thought is away from the troubled world far from us. The second attack was from nature in the shape of floods that overcame our man made river barriers that some thought existed better in some developing countries.
These two attacks shaped the first 10 years of the 21 century and many of us still think that we could have prevented these two attacks, the first by having better security and coordination among the many security agencies and the second by just merely building better barriers by the shores of the river. The GOP led country fought and arguably prevailed against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and against Saddam in Iraq. The results were mixed, and the management of the after war in Iraq was terrible.
By the end of the Bush admiration, the country was hit by almost unprecedented economic crisis in its history. The Housing market collapsed and it dragged with it all other markets. The time could not have been more perfect for -as Senator Kennedy said in the Democratic convention - a new generation of Americans which reminded us all of the hopeful election and years of his brother John F Kennedy.
Obama was the answer. The GOP- on the other hand- Selected an elderly and seasoned Politician, John McCain, and McCain in a moment of desperation and maybe a Hail Mary shot, chose a young female Politician from Alaska. Governor Palin was a no match to Joe Biden and in many ways, she too shed the light -through interviews and insiders’ leaks- on the lack of Republican charismatic Politicians that could again capture the imagination of the American people as Ronald Reagan did.
Jeb Bush is the answer right now for the Republican Party. He is a Bush and not a Bush at the same time. He has always been different than his brother George W Bush and from his father the elder George Bush. He is a moderate, popular and has not been 'tainted' with wars or the economy his brother 'W' left the country struggling. He appeals to a wide spectrum of Americans including the rising power in American politics; the Hispanic population. He is married to an originally Mexican woman, he is bilingual English and Spanish and he is most importantly an inclusive Politician. We witnessed his skills in winning Florida’s governorship twice. Jeb Bush also by all accounts stayed away while governor of Florida from the only obstacle that he could face; the voting cards debacle in Florida during the first election of his brother against Al Gore.
