Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush can't shake the is-he-isn't-he? speculation regarding a 2016 shot at the White House. And although he's stayed away from the kind of blatant campaign work that indicates a coming run, he has made some recent appearances that put him in solid with current candidates for office -- some political back-scratching that might come in handy later. The latest landed this week, when Bush cut a trio of ads for candidates --- in Spanish.
Could be a sign he's prepping for a run. Or being the one non-raging-and-xenophobic card-carrying Republican in an election season, like being the one guy with a truck in a friend group whose phone always rings whenever somebody is moving to a new apartment. Shit, they want me again, always asking the same favor.
These three ads were paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and show Bush spelling out for Latinos why each candidate deserves a vote. Bush flexes his Spanish skills, which, incidentally, add a little basso profundo to his syllables, so he sounds like the announcer in a late-night Mexican TV commercial for stain remover.
One ad is for Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican representative going for incumbent Mark Udall's Senate seat.
In another, Bush weighs in for Martha McSally, a former Air Force pilot vying for an Arizona congressional seat.
The final one features Bush thumping the tub for David Valadao, a Republican running for reelection in a California House seat.
The 30-second spots are each (probably long-shot) attempts to present the Republican party as warm and fuzzy to Spanish speakers, and Bush is probably the only guy in the party who can roll his rrrrrrs. That said, it's interesting that Bush's former mentor and possible 2016 opponent, Marco Rubio, made a similar series of ads for candidates not too long ago.
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