Stick to values, Bush tells grads
In his lone commencement address of the year, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush urged students at a Christian liberal-arts college yesterday to reaffirm their socially conservative values, a sign that he is underscoring his own as he considers running in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.
“Remain true to your convictions and your faith,” Bush said, speaking at Grove City College in northwestern Pennsylvania. “This may seem a little challenging today, where we have a federal government that is willingly violating the religious freedom of its citizens. But we don’t have to accept it.”
Dropping a possible hint about his thinking regarding a White House bid, Bush said, “If you feel inspired to serve your fellow citizens, don’t let the ugliness of politics keep you from pursuing public office. There is always room for informed, engaged, passionate leaders at every level of government.”
People close to Bush have said his major concern about running is navigating today’s messy spectacle of Twitter wars and “super-PAC” attacks. In January, Bush said, “The decision will be based on, ‘Can I do it joyfully?’ because I think we need to have a candidate to lift our spirits.”
The speech was short, less than 15 minutes, and Bush did not linger long at the school, departing for the airport soon afterward to travel to California for business.
Bush, who served as Florida’s governor from 1999 to 2007, is the son and brother of former presidents and widely considered a leading contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.