For the longest time, Jeb Bush has held off an endorsement in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate.
Then Charlie Crist quit the race last week, meaning that Marco Rubio the de facto GOP nominee, some 3 months before the actual vote. With that out of the way, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has done what has been expected for a long time - he finally endorsed Rubio.
The only remarkable thing about this is that it shows how much has changed in a year. When Rubio entered the race close to a year ago, when he was given little chance of upsetting Crist, supporters said that if he could somehow hang in there, a big boost, such as an endorsement from Bush, could seriously help him.
Now, it's basically an afterthought.
Rubio is on the same page ideologically as Jeb Bush. Charlie Crist has never been on that same page, which is why many conservatives in Florida have never warmed to him. They have revered Bush, who is almost like a living Florida version of Ronald Reagan to many in the party.
Here is the text of Bush's announcement:
“Washington is broken, and Marco Rubio is the only candidate in this race that I trust to help fix it,” said Bush. “He is a bright, passionate and principled leader who approaches public service with a servant’s heart and a reformer’s detail for policy. Reforming Washington will not be easy and will require leaders who stay true to their principles even when the odds are stacked against them. The last thing the Senate needs is another politician who has to take a poll to make a decision.
