Jeb Bush: 'It's Not About Performance. It's About Leadership'

Jeb Bush flew to New Hampshire after the debate on Wednesday. He spoke about the state of his campaign there, claiming that he still had a lot of money and his campaign is still functioning. Bush also spoke about how being president was more than just being able to speak well in public. He addressed his various stances on issues. There was a variety of feedback: some felt that he did a better job than he did at the debate, others felt that he wasn't ready for the White House.

When he spoke about how his actions were worth more than his rhetoric, I believe he was targeting Trump who has been leading the race. I do not believe that Jeb Bush's campaign is faring well despite his constant denial. If he fails to ignite the crowd in a place where his family name is celebrated, I don't think he has a chance of winning. 

http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/10/30/453072602/jeb-bush-is-on-the-road-battling-rumors-of-a-sputtering-campaign

Sanders expresses reservations about Obama’s deployment of troops to Syria

This article discusses both Bernie Sanders' reaction to Obama wanting to slightly increase our military presence in Syria and his views on international affairs. Obama wants to deploy a few troops in the Middle East while also expressing concern of our involvement in the Syrian civil war. Sanders, just like Obama, wants to aid those countries battling the Islamic State in the region. However, he does not believe military force should be our first resort, but rather our last. There are ways to address international affairs that don't involve dispatching troops.

I agree with Sanders. Our long history of involving ourselves in foreign conflict through military action has not been beneficial. We have lost countless Americans to the Iraq War, and to what avail? We returned 3 years later in the Iraqi Civil War. There are more diplomatic ways to address conflict rather than perpetuating ongoing strife in these countries. Furthermore, it is important that we focus on the issues of our own country before trying, and failing, to solve issues in others. As Bernie stated, military force should be our last resort and we should not completely immerse ourselves in foreign affairs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/30/sanders-expresses-reservations-about-obamas-deployment-of-troops-to-syria/

Ben Carson had extensive relationship to dietary supplement company despite denial

During the debate this Wednesday, Ben Carson was questioned for his support and relationship with a dietary supplement company, Mannatech, that is said to cure cancer and autism. Carson denied this accusation and claimed that he may have done a couple of paid speeches that do not matter because he does many paid speeches for many companies. He claimed that it was "absurd" to call it a relationship.

Even though this is what Carson claims, there is proof that he has been taking their products for over a decade. The last speech for them was in 2013. Ben Carson also credited the products by Mannatech and claimed that they are the reason his cancer symptoms are disappearing.

The fact that Carson did not mention any of the above information really makes me question his integrity and honesty. Those are qualities any president should have and he is lacking. If he is going to hide something like that, who says he won't hide anything more important that the people of this country would deserve to know. If Ben Carson had significant results from this product, why would he deny his extensive use of their product to begin with? Should he not be congratulating them and promoting them? Dr. Carson has a lot to explain since this news came out and I am interested to see how he will respond.

Why Not Cruz?- Howard Tai

The article argues that Marco Rubio is likely going to be the Republican nominee and only acknowledges Ted Cruz as a legitimate opponent. He asserts that Trump and Carson will never win the nomination because of their lack of support from the establishment. He ultimately argues that Rubio will succeed over Cruz, listing several reasons why Cruz will not be able to prevail against Rubio. Although I would say Rubio is definitely a contender, I wouldn't rule out Trump like the author did. The establishment remains divided, despite Bush's dropping numbers. John Kasich also hasn't shown indications that he plans on dropping out, which fragments the establishment even more. If they do not rally behind Rubio, I still think there is a chance Trump could win. Also, even though I think Rubio would prevail over Cruz, I disagree with the reasons that the author presents as to why Rubio would be more successful than Cruz. I think the main reason Rubio will garner more support than Cruz is because Rubio is more moderate, whereas Cruz leans extremely to the right. As we are observing with the Democratic Primary, the more moderate candidate tends to be more popular and more successful. Thus, I think this will be the main reason why Rubio will gain more support than Cruz in the election.

http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/28/why-not-cruz/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body&mtrref=undefined&assetType=opinion&_r=1&mtrref=douthat.blogs.nytimes.com&assetType=opi

Jeb Bush to drop out

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/24/jeb-bush-expresses-despair-about-toxic-tone-of-campaign/

With Jeb Bush dropping out we see the end of the establishment -  Of course there are other politicians in the race, but Jeb Bush was the leading candidate who had any experience in the government. I'm upset, not only because Americans for Prosperity represented him in the election simulation, but because it means that people have lost so much faith in the government they prefer Donald Tump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina. While Jeb Bush dropping out is not yet confirmed, he hinted at it when he said "I've got a lot of really cool things I could do other than sit around, being miserable, listening to people demonize me and me feeling compelled to demonize them. That is a joke. Elect Trump if you want that." His statement that the race has been more of a reality television show where everyone attempts to insult one another is true. Instead of talking about real policy issues the candidates spend time trading insults about appearances and mannerisms. We need someone like Jeb, because if this is what Americans want, then we need soemone strong enough to counteract him.

Good news for GOP elites: Trump's not winning Iowa anymore. Bad news: Ben Carson is.

http://www.vox.com/2015/10/24/9605230/ben-carson-trump-polls

According to two recent polls by Quinnipiac and Bloomberg, Ben Carson has been leading fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by just under 10 percent. The so-called "soft-spoken" and "low energy" candidate seems to be surging Trump by small margins; however, Trump remains in the lead in a majority of national polls, suggesting that Carson has yet to completely outrun Trump.

What interested me most about this article was its latter point: that Carson winning the evangelical vote was central to him winning the Iowa caucuses. According to the cited Bloomberg poll, Carson has amassed a third of the evangelical vote - more than any other candidate has - and the article has suggested that the wild allegations Carson has made (for instance, that gun control helped lead to the Holocaust, or that a Muslim should not be the United States president) have found favor and are consistent with the views of the evangelical vote - and that his incendiary lines might even help him.

I find the article's view to be absurd, and I really do hope that these statements are more exaggeration than fact. I can't bring myself to fathom that any religious party would support such statements made by Carson - and I find it harder to believe that such a party would have sufficient power to make a perceivable impact come election day. It troubles me that any one group would give Carson's words credence - and, even more, it troubles me that many voters cannot divorce religion from capability.

Struggling Jeb Bush Downsizes Campaign

Jeb Bush is downsizing his campaign because his campaign seems to be in big trouble. He wants to remain competitive in the presidential election and primaries. Jeb's campaign has cut 40% from the payroll by the end of the first week. The Bush campaign is also downsizing the amount of workers and cutting the pay for the workers he already has. He is third place in New Hampshire and fifth place in Iowa.
When Jeb Bush entered the GOP campaigns, the analysts though he would be leading in teh Republican campaigns. But he hasn't been that successful despite his efforts. The Bush campaign is surviving fro survival, and they know that their chances are growing bleaker.


http://www.politicususa.com/2015/10/23/struggling-jeb-bush-downsizes-campaign-cuts-payroll-40-percent.html