McCarthy Center for Public Policy

September 25, 2017

Jeb Bush Hosts Conference, Lecture at St. John’s University

By Chrissy Gaetke September 21, 2017 7:19 PM

(Chrissy Gaetke, WJON)
(Chrissy Gaetke, WJON)

COLLEGEVILLE — Former Florida Governor and 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush held a news conference before being interviewed for the 11th annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture at St. John’s University Thursday.

With education always being a top priority of the former governor’s he says when he comes to college campuses he gets the chance to talk about policy, something that isn’t always covered as much as politics.

“The cable news is about the politics of politics, who is winning, who is losing. It revolves around the president obviously, but there isn’t a lot of formulation of discussion about policy, how to we get beyond where we are. On college campuses, at least in my experience people are anxious to learn about that [policy].”

During the conference Bush also talked about the importance of handling the United State’s issue of growing student loan debt. Minnesota is currently ranked 5th highest for the average amount of student loan debt, with college graduates entering their professional fields about $32,000 in debt.

Bush says by providing the right resources for high school students to be able to make good decisions on which career field they should pursue is key to lowering the debt. But also reforming the federal student loan program. As Bush was running for president he introduced a plan, that he still stands by, that could help lower student loan debt.

“I proposed as a candidate the elimination of the student loan program and a version of a loan to be allowed, up to $50,000 depending on if it was post graduate or undergraduate. Where you pay it off as a percentage of income over the next 25 years. So if you don’t get a job and you’re languishing, you’re not having the debt continue to grow.”

His idea for education reform and many others Bush says are still on a small scale and it will take more discussion before changes can be made.

When it comes to his future endeavors, the former governor says he’s not interested in running for president again, he’s already had “the best job in the world.”

“A job where you can take ideas and implement them and build consensus around them. And try to improve the chance of people to live life with purpose and meaning. I was the governor of the state of Florida, a very dynamic state, at a time when doing things was actually rewarded.”

Bush currently serves as Chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national non-profit education reform organization. He is also the Chairman of Dock Square Capital LLC, a merchant bank based in Miami.

Jeb Bush on political divides: 'Turn off cable TV'

Nora G. Hertel, nhertel@stcloudtimes.comPublished 7:14 p.m. CT Sept. 21, 2017

(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

COLLEGEVILLE — Jeb Bush was definitive. He doesn't plan to run for president again.

The former Florida governor doesn't plan to run for his state's top seat again, and the U.S. Senate is out too.

"I'd be like a caged animal in the Senate, where they talk a lot," said Bush to a small group of reporters and students at a press conference Thursday at St John's University.

Later Thursday evening, 1,600 people assembled for a formal interview between the 2016 presidential candidate and Gary Eichten, a journalist and St. John's University alumnus, at the abbey and university church.

Bush's father George H.W. Bush was America's 41st president, and his brother George W. Bush the 43rd. Jeb Bush was one of 17 Republican candidates in the 2016 election.

Bush is catholic and shared some thoughts about his faith, including that he found signing death warrants the most difficult part of his job as governor. He also weighed in on current divisions in the country and how President Donald Trump is doing.

Bush said he did not vote for Trump, but he prays for the president as he prays for all leaders.

"I'm not a big fan; I think that's been pretty well established," Bush said of the president. "He's not shown his ability to unite the country around a common purpose. His obsession with his own election is weird, to be honest with you."

Bush does appreciate Trump's judicial appointments, which include Neil Gorsuch to replace Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. Bush also praised the president's foreign policy team.

Trump's Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is unrolling college sexual assault recommendations from former President Barack Obama's time in office. The Obama administration gave universities new instructions on how to respond to accusations of sexual violence, which critics say curtailed the rights of the accused.

Bush said he agrees with DeVos. Political correctness had replaced due process for scores of people, Bush said.

Bush commented on the political divisions of the day. He wants politicians to be willing to criticize members of their own party for actions they'd criticize in the opposing party.

He also encourages people to latch on to similarities and build coalitions around those, even if they would disagree with those coalition members on other topics. That's happening with bipartisan support for the young people brought to the U.S. illegally known as Dreamers, he said.

Those people currently work and attend school through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA is set to expire in less than six months and lawmakers are talking about permanent fixes.

For non-politicians swept up in political tensions, Bush suggests that people "turn off cable TV."

He recommends people read news and opinions they don't fully agree with or like. That's why he reads the New York Times, he said.

"It's so easy to customize how you acquire your information ... the righteousness rises and the intolerance rises as well," Bush said. "Challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone and listen to people that don't agree with you."

Even though he doesn't plan to run for a major office, Bush said he can still "play a role" in politics. He launched and runs an education reform foundation called Excel in Ed. He mentors candidates and elected officials in Florida and beyond.

Since he dropped out of the presidential race, he's been rebuilding his life as he wants it, he said.

"I'm living large in Miami," he said. "Life's good."

Nora G. Hertel: 320-255-8746 and in Twitter @nghertel.

Jeb Bush: Trump obsession with 2016 election ‘is weird’

Brian Bakst September 21, 2017, 7:03 PM

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush reiterated during a visit to Minnesota on Thursday that he’s “not a big fan” of President Donald Trump and said the president’s tendency to dwell on the last election is holding his agenda back in a rocky first year in office.

“He has not shown the ability to unite the country around a common purpose. His obsession with his own election is weird to be honest with you,” Bush said. “Get over it man, you won. It’s not like he lost. If you’d lost I could see him going to get therapy or something. But you won. You’re president of the United States. You’re not a victim. Get on with it now.”

He added, “That has slowed down any success he has had.”

The appraisal came at a news conference ahead of a sold-out Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture at Saint John’s University, which will be aired Friday at noon on MPR News Presents.

Bush is among the prominent Republican candidates that Trump shot past on the way to the party nomination and ultimately the presidency. He is the son of one former president and brother to another.

Bush said he remains involved in championing changes in public education and is mentoring future candidates for political office, focusing on those who see value in civility and compromise. He said he doesn’t see himself taking another shot at the White House.

“I gave it may all when I ran for president. But I lost. I’m a big boy,” Bush said. “What you do is you dust yourself off and get on with life. It can’t be an obsession.”

Bush said he didn’t vote for Trump but wants him to succeed for the country’s sake. He praised Trump’s judicial appointments and said he has assembled a solid team of foreign policy advisers. He voiced support for the administration’s hard-line approach to North Korea amid that country’s efforts to develop a nuclear arsenal it can put on long-range missiles.

“Whether the president is correct to use the language he uses, time will tell. But I think the policy of challenging North Korea and challenging China is the appropriate one,” Bush said. “And there are other additional sanctions that can be used to make that case effectively.”

MPR News intern George Dornbach contributed to this report.

Former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush in Minnesota

MPR News Staff , The Associated Press · Sep 22, 2017

Jeb Bush speaks with Gary Eichten.
Jeb Bush speaks with Gary Eichten at the 11th annual Eugene J. McCarthy lecture at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minn., on Thursday, September 21, 2017. Courtesy of Tommy O'Laughlin

Former Florida governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush was interviewed by retired MPR host Gary Eichten about a wide range of current issues, from hurricanes and earthquakes to immigration and health care.

Bush decried the decline in America's civic culture and presidential leadership. He told the crowd he feels he can still play a role in politics even though he doesn't plan to run for a major political office again.

It was the 11th annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture on Conscience and Courage in Public Life, held Thursday, Sept. 21 at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. Sponsored by the McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict.

Bush said he has been rebuilding his life since dropping out of the 2016 presidential race in February 2016. He has been mentoring politicians and launched an education reform foundation called Excel in Ed.

Bush said he's not a fan of President Donald Trump, but that he continues to pray for all leaders.

Bush said he wants politicians to be willing to criticize fellow party members. He also encouraged people to read news and opinions they don't agree with fully.

Jeb Bush tells St. Cloud crowd he won't run for major office

Associated Press

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 — 3:55PM

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has told a crowd at Saint John's University that he feels he can still play a role in politics even though he doesn't plan to run for a major political office again.

Bush spoke at the school Thursday, the St. Cloud Times reported .

Bush said he has been rebuilding his life since dropping out of the 2016 presidential race in February 2016.

"I'm living large in Miami," he said. "Life's good."

He has been mentoring politicians and launched an education reform foundation called Excel in Ed.

Bush said he's not a fan of President Donald Trump, but that he continues to pray for all leaders.

"He's not shown his ability to unite the country around a common purpose," Bush said. "His obsession with his own election is weird, to be honest with you."

Bush said he approves of Trump's judicial appointments and foreign policy team.

He said he also supports Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' new recommendations to colleges on how to handle sexual assault accusations. President Barack Obama's recommendations have been criticized for curtailing the rights of the accused. Bush said political correctness replaced due process for many people.

Bush said he wants politicians to be willing to criticize fellow party members. He also encouraged people to read news and opinions they don't agree with fully.

"It's so easy to customize how you acquire your information. ... the righteousness rises, and the intolerance rises as well," Bush said. "Challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone and listen to people that don't agree with you."

Bush said people who are caught up in the political tensions should "turn off cable TV."

August 9, 2016

Professor Matt Lindstrom featured in St. Cloud Times

Candidates reach out to Somali voters

Kirsti Marohn, kmarohn@stcloudtimes.com 6:06 a.m. CDT August 2, 2016

IMG_STC_0730_New_Citizen_1_1_J8BG0AN8.jpg_20150730.jpg

(Photo: Times file photo)

On a sunny July day, as a crowd gathered at St. Cloud’s Lake George to celebrate Somali Independence Day, political candidates seized the microphone one after the other.

It’s a sign of the growing strength of Somali-Americans as a voting bloc that both political parties are taking seriously. Both the Republican and DFL state parties are reaching out to East African voters in an effort to connect with them on issues and earn their support.

As Somalis become more established in the St. Cloud community nearly two decades after the first refugees settled here, they’re also growing more politically involved and active.

“I do get the feeling at least talking to the members of the Somali community that they’re aware that they’re becoming more influential, and they want to participate in the public culture more than they have in the past,” said Aric Putnam, DFL candidate for the Minnesota House in District 14A.

It’s not just candidates targeting potential Somali voters. Somali community groups have organized forums and events and are inviting candidates to speak.

“They’ve become a significant voting bloc now here in the St. Cloud area,” said Zach Dorholt, DFL candidate for the Minnesota House in District 14B. “There are a lot of really talented young and organized folks in that community who have made it a point to reach out to us and to engage candidates.”

The Democratic Party traditionally has had more success in attracting minority and immigrant voters. But Republicans say they think the Somali people could find a lot to like in their party’s platform, including social values and protections for small business owners.

“They tend to be very conservative in terms of the way they live,” said Keith Downey, chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party. “They’re trying to make it. They’re trying to realize the American dream.”

However, winning over Somalis, who are mostly Muslims, could be challenging for local Republican candidates in the shadow of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose rhetoric has been seen by many as anti-Muslim.

“It has fired them up,” Dorholt said. “Trump’s comments specifically have caused people to get more involved.”

The growing political importance of Somalis isn’t surprising, said Matt Lindstrom, political science professor at the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University. With an estimated 40,000 Somalis living in Minnesota, “frankly, it’s just a matter of math,” Lindstrom said.

A growing number of Somalis have either become naturalized citizens or are second-generation children of immigrants and were born U.S. citizens, giving them voting rights. But just how many are registering to vote and exercising that right is unclear.

Historically, Somalis are following the typical pattern of an immigrant group that at first is concerned mainly with survival, not politics.

“If you’re worried about putting a roof over your head or how to feed your children, you’re not concerned about super delegates or primary voting,” Lindstrom said. “That’s just not important. Immediate needs are definitely more important.”

Refugees from Somalia were fleeing a country torn apart by violence and civil war, so many are likely skeptical and even afraid of the voting process that in some parts of the world remains dangerous.

But two decades after the first Somali refugees settled in Minnesota, there are now a growing number of Somalis who are more assimilated into the democratic process, Lindstrom said. There are Somali-American candidates running for St. Cloud City Council and the Minnesota House in Twin Cities legislative districts, including the first GOP-endorsed Somali candidate in House District 60B.

Omar Podi works as a part-time political organizer for the DFL Party on outreach to St. Cloud-area Somali voters. He explains how to register to vote, how to fill out the ballot and the different views of the candidates.

Although he's a Democrat, Podi tells Somali voters that it's important to vote no matter what party they support, for the future of the country and the Somali community.

"That's why we have to be engaged," he said.

St. Cloud-area candidates say they see Somali voters just like any others — diverse, with a wide range of views on issues.

“If you talk to white voters, they’ve got lots of different opinions about lots of different things, and I guess so do Somali voters,” said Rep. Jim Knoblach, a St. Cloud Republican.

Knoblach spoke at the Somali Independence Day celebration and touted legislation he sponsored last session that helped Somali families. But he said he doesn’t treat his Somali constituents any differently than others.

“I meet with them and listen to their concerns, just like I meet with other groups and other people," Knoblach said. "I think it’s just part of being a legislator — you need to reach out to your constituents and do your best to listen to them.”

Despite the tendency of minority groups to vote Democrat, Knoblach said he thinks many Somalis lean more GOP. Two years ago, Knoblach said he reached out to some Somalis expecting to hear about issues such as jobs and education. Instead, all they wanted to talk about was same-sex marriage.

“I don’t think a person can stereotype them any more than you can stereotype white voters," he said. "But I think that many of them find more conservative values attractive.”

Many first-generation Somali immigrants, especially older men, have conservative views on social issues such as abortion, gay rights and women’s rights, Lindstrom said. However, “that doesn’t mean that they vote Republican,” he said.

In some ways, Republicans have missed the boat on recruiting Somali voters based on social issues, Lindstrom said.

“I do see firsthand the Democrats playing a very active role in recruiting Somali-Americans to their campaigns,” he said. “And Republicans have been kind of late in the game on this.”

A complicating factor in this election is that boilerplate social issues such as abortion have largely taken a backseat with Trump’s candidacy. Still, some Republicans also see potential for connecting with the Somali community on pocketbook issues.

Many Somalis are entrepreneurs and small business owners who struggle with paying taxes and keeping up with licensing and regulations, Knoblach said.

“If you talk to them, they have the same concerns about high taxes and regulations and stuff as if you talk to a white, Republican small business owner,” he said.

Since the 2012 election, the state Republican Party has been making an effort to connect with groups with whom it hasn’t traditionally done well, such as minorities, women and young people, Downey said. That included moving the party offices from St. Paul to a Minneapolis neighborhood with one of the highest concentrations of Somali residents in the state.

“I think most new Americans, Somalis included … want the same things that everybody does for their family and for themselves — better opportunity in life,” Downey said. “That’s why they came here.”

Somalis are starting small businesses, struggling with taxes and regulations and living in areas with failing schools, Downey said.

“You talk to them and you realize those are kind of fundamental Republican issues,” he said.

Still, anti-Muslim statements from national candidates like Trump are likely to alienate many Somalis and make it more difficult for local Republicans hoping to gain Somali votes, even if they don’t share the same views as Trump.

Rep. Tama Theis, a St. Cloud Republican in House District 14A, said she can't control what national candidates say, so she tries to focus on local issues.

"He’s going to do on a national level what he’s going to do," Theis said. "But I’m here in St. Cloud, in this state, and that’s where my concerns have to be."

Follow Kirsti Marohn on Twitter, Facebook or contact her by phone at 320-255-8746.