Jeb Bush's Positive Message A Departure From Business As Usual?

Here is an interesting piece from Florida Today regarding advice from former two-term Governor Jeb Bush from Florida:

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told New York Republicans on Wednesday that the GOP must become the new party of reform, smaller government, capitalism and patriotism — and become far less grumpy.

But Bush said it should also maintain humility while supporting those principles.

A reform-minded, "forward-leaning" conservative movement can again put Republicans in charge in Washington and in statehouses across the nation, he said at the annual New York Republican dinner.

"United conservatives need to be joyful in this quest to regain control," Bush said. "We can't be grumpy. We can't be telling people to eat their broccoli ... we can't be saying, 'No, no, no' all the time. We have to have a joyous attitude as we make our case to the American people because history is on our side.

"It is important to be forward leaning because if we are thinking about the past and become nostalgic, then you no longer become relevant to people's hopes and aspirations," said the brother and son of former presidents.

"We should be a country that is unapologetic about capitalism," he said to cheers from hundreds of New York Republicans.

Bush also warned that divisions among conservative movements will be the undoing of a Republican revival. Without naming them, he referred to factions among conservatives such as the tea party movement.

I wish Jeb would have been more specific.  I had always preferred Jeb to George (I had voted for him twice), although there were some things that bothered me, such as his injection of politics into the Terry Shiavo case.  Jeb stands apart from his conservative contemporaries - I had always found Jeb to have a firmer footing in reality.  He seemed to have a better understanding of the political scene then those running the show today, and I truly believe that Jeb would be one of the best candidates for the GOP in 2012 - not simple Sarah...

If Republicans want to have stronger gains in the future, they need to listen to the younger Bush.  Just compare Jeb's words to the push poll mailed by House Minority Leader John Boehner and you will see what Jeb is talking about.