Jeb: America's Next Bush - Hardcover

Date, S. V.

3.71

14 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1585425486 ISBN 13: 9781585425488

Publisher: Tarcher, 2007

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Jeb Bush, Florida's governor and a dutiful prince, was groomed his entire life for the presidency, only to learn that life isn't fair when his far less industrious black sheep brother beat him to the job.

S. V. Date, who, as Tallahassee bureau chief of The Palm Beach Post, has covered Jeb for eight years, rejects the trend in political journalism that focuses only on American Idol-like artifice--who's up and who's down and what are the latest poll numbers?--and muckrakes his way to the core of Jeb in this revealing account of his Florida years.

This was no easy task, for in Jeb's kingdom dissent is frowned upon and journalists are supposed to be accommodating stenographers, not steadfast reporters. Date soon became the biggest journalistic thorn in Jeb's side, producing award-winning stories that revealed the real winners and losers of Bush's policies. Jeb's second and final term as Florida governor ended in January 2007. He left office a popular man in his home state, and revered by the national Republican Party's conservative base. True, Bush fatigue may result in Jeb settling for the vice-presidency in 2008-he's already discussed this possibility with John McCain-and maybe NFL commissioner in 2007, but his day will come, and Date shows us why: Jeb, unlike his brother George, is a policy wonk, knows how to take charge when a natural disaster strikes, is a workaholic, eloquently speaks without notes, and, at six-four, has a larger-than-life charismatic presence that makes even opponents say: "I want him to like me."

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About the Author:

S. V. DçTE, Tallahassee bureau chief for The Palm Beach Post, is the author of Quiet Passion: A Biography of Senator Bob Graham and four critically acclaimed novels.

From Publishers Weekly:

Love Jeb Bush or hate him, D�te writes, but "if you want to see what he would do with the nation, take a good look at what he did here in Florida." Though the Palm Beach Post reporter admits he has a bit of an axe to grind after covering the younger Bush for eight years, he says it's on principle alone, as a critic of Jeb's autocratic ruling style, not his policies. As D�te portrays it, Jeb Bush for president is less a question of "if" than "when." Yet the book is worth close attention regardless of what Jeb decides. Bush's personal story—his youth; his business relationships in Miami before taking office (which weren't always savory); his years spent running a highly secretive administration, obsessed with tax cuts and school vouchers—is a masterful lesson in political ambition. Most compelling is D�te's examination of the constantly evolving history of the hypercompetitive, hyperpowerful Bush family dynasty; how the family has amassed, wielded and abused political power and entitlement; and how it has evolved after that power and entitlement have been transferred from one generation of leaders to the next. B&w photos. (Feb. 15)
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