For half a sentence, Jeb Bush is an official 2016 candidate
Over and over again, Jeb Bush has said he’s still thinking about whether to run for president. But for half a sentence Wednesday, Bush let on it’s a decision he’s already made. And he’s in the race for the White House. Talking with reporters after a town hall in Reno, Nevada, the former Florida governor said, “I’m running for president in 2016 and the focus is going to be about how we, if I run, how do you create high sustained economic growth.” Bush noted several times in the same conversation he is still thinking about whether to run and caught himself before ending the sentence in which he said he was running by adding that caveat. Earlier in the same exchange, when asked about his brother, former President George W. Bush, he said, “If I run, it will be 2016, not 2000.” But the caveat is important. It’s one Bush has uttered countless times since January, traveling to early-voting and battleground states and meeting voters. It’s what has allowed him to raise limitless money to fuel a super PAC expected to complement his campaign once he officially announces his candidacy. Bush’s team had nothing to say about his slip. Once a White House hopeful launches a formal campaign, he or she can no longer coordinate activities with a super PAC. That’s why people who are running a presidential campaign in all but name hold off on declaring their intentions until the time suits them — even as they make speeches, meet donors and undertake other activities that are clearly the work of a presidential contender. Bush’s super PAC, Right to Rise, is expected, under the guidance of longtime adviser Mike Murphy, to conduct many of the functions a candidate’s campaign would — but without coordination with Bush or the federal contribution limits that go with a campaign. At the event in Reno, the former Florida governor again refused to say whether he would have proceeded with the 2003 invasion of Iraq if he’d been in brother and former President George W. Bush’s shoes. Anyone in hindsight “would have made different decisions,” he told reporters. “There is no denying that. But to delve into that and not focus on the future, I think is where I need to draw the line.” Pressed by a voter at the town hall-style meeting about the war, Bush said: “Talking about the future is more than fair. Talking about the past, saying how would you have done something after the fact is a little tougher, and it doesn’t necessarily change anything.” Bush later noted that such voter encounters stand in contrast to what he described as Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton‘s campaign. “You can’t script your way to the presidency, put yourself in a protective bubble and never interact with people — only talk with people that totally agree with you,” Bush said. “That’s not going to work. That’s not very sincere.” Republished with permission of the Assoociated Press.
Technology revolutionizes voter registration for 2016
When President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, only two states offered a website where citizens could register to vote. By the 2016 presidential election, it’s possible that a majority of states will offer that service, helping to cut down on errors resulting from bad handwriting and reducing time spent by voters in line on Election Day, according to data released Wednesday by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The nonpartisan public policy group says states have spent an average of $249,000 to build and implement new online voter registration systems. But states also are recouping costs because clerks don’t have to process paper registrations. Here’s a look at what’s changed since the last U.S. presidential election: Arizona and Washington were the only states that offered online voter registration in 2008. Now 20 states do, and seven others have passed or are considering laws that would authorize a new online registration system. Five states now allow residents without a state identification or driver’s license to register to vote online: California, Delaware, Minnesota, Missouri, and Virginia. Several states are tweaking their registration sites with smartphones in mind, offering mobile friendly features. States are analyzing that data. Colorado, for example, notes the number of new registrations in a certain time period and updates to old ones. That can help states identify trends in voter registration. States are doing more to accommodate people who struggle with English or have disabilities. One example of those efforts is text-to-speech software for blind people. Online registration has changed dramatically since 2008, but the U.S. is likely a long way from letting people vote online because of security concerns. When the District of Columbia experimented with an online voting system in 2010, hackers broke in and changed votes to go to fictional characters. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
