On Sunday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Ann Coulter, a conservative columnist and author of “Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America,” said that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s comment that Republican presidential candidates are “appealing to people’s fears and emotion” shows that he is hoping to be the GOP presidential candidate.
“It looks like we can throw Jeb Bush’s hat in the ring along with Sarah Palin as hoping to be chosen as the nominee after a contested convention,” Coulter said. “But you know, as we saw with Rick Perry, there’s a point to seeing these people in a debate.”
She criticized Bush for his own record and explained why the primary process was an important part of the vetting process.
“I don’t think it’s helpful,” Coulter said. “I don’t think it’s helpful to have the primaries going on this long with the candidates who are actually in the race attacking one another. We certainly don’t need the peanut gallery throwing shots as well. And, I think on closer examination, Jeb Bush would be the worst of all candidates to run. For one thing, we don’t need another Bush. That would just be embarrassing to the Republican Party. But also he’s more pro-amnesty for illegals than his brother was, more than Rick Perry was — and it certainly didn’t help Rick Perry. Again, showing the problem of this idea of a brokered or a contested convention where some mystery candidate will emerge. Well, all it means is a candidate who hasn’t been vetted, like Jeb Bush.”
Coulter also questioned the prominence of social issues in the debates and explained the importance of Republicans having a broad appeal in this election cycle.
“Well, I think it is important to appeal to the independents, certainly as I’ve described, Ronald Reagan did,” she said. “We will not win by getting only the people who voted for John McCain. So, yeah, we need moderates. We need my gender. We need independents. But I don’t even know what he is talking about — playing to fears, particularly. When I make that point I have specific criticisms. I don’t think we should be prattling nonstop about contraception in the middle of an economic meltdown. I don’t think we need a candidate who proposes child janitors and then turns around and opposes work requirements in the welfare reform. That is Newt Gingrich. I think you need an appealing candidate. But conservative positions are appealing and the more conservative a candidate is, you know the better off you are, which is why I support Mitt Romney.”