Ruby Cramer looks at Jeb Bush’s non-campaign campaign in Iowa:
Most of the Republicans thinking about a run for president have already visited Iowa. Bush hasn’t. Many have hired state-based staff. Bush hasn’t. And nearly all have put in calls to Kaufmann. Bush waited until last month to finally get in touch.
In interviews this month, state operatives and officials said Bush has yet to take many early steps to catch up to his rivals in the state where voters expect to be courted with rigor ahead of the caucuses that mark the start of the presidential race every four years.
Bush has been the least engaged of any major candidate, with the most to overcome: He’s underwater in early polling; he has no “Bush Brigade” in waiting like his dad and brother did; and he is expected to struggle selling his positions on Common Core, immigration, and energy to the conservatives who propelled candidates like Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum forward in 2008 and 2012.
Help me out here.
Does Bush think he can buy Iowa? Does he think he’s such a tremendous campaigner that he can waltz through without a ground operation? Is he not serious about running for President? Has he written off Iowa and pegging New Hampshire for his first test? Or some combination of all four?
Otherwise, this one is a real head scratcher.
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