A shocking piece of information has recently come across the Opinion section’s desk, information we consider so scandalizing and crazy that we absolutely had to share it with the world.
Jeb Bush, brother of George W. Bush and son of George H.W. Bush, is white.
Not surprised? Yeah, we actually weren’t either, but we were surprised recently by the discovery that Jeb listed himself as Hispanic on a 2009 voter registration application in ?Miami-Dade County.
And while Jeb speaks fluent Spanish, has a Mexican wife and lived for two years in Venezuela, he is most certainly not Hispanic. In fact, anyone who has so much as glimpsed at the Bush family’s pale exterior in the sun instantly knows they descend from the whitest of pasty white boys. So why is this relevant? Well, like many a Bush before him, Jeb has his eyes on the only house whiter than ?his heritage.
Although he hasn’t confirmed he is running for president, there are several rumblings in the political community that he is seriously considering it. If this is the case, the way Jeb has been handling this smells suspiciously like a play at the hearts of the Latin population ?in America.
Jeb’s son, Jeb Bush Jr., posted a tweet mocking his dad for checking “the wrong box,” while also posting “#HonoraryLatino.” Maybe it’s just our cold, cynical hearts that make us feel this way, but this tweet and Jeb’s playful response of “My mistake! Don’t think I’ve fooled anyone!” seems just a little too staged for us.
In fact, it seems like he’s doing the best he can to remind people that his wife and children are both Latino. Of course, that is absolutely his right as a politician. Sure, it may seem scummy to the average person to use the ethnicity of your wife and kids as a ploy to gain support from a certain community. But this is American politics, there’s much dirtier things ?going on, right?
Maybe, but Jeb’s actions are more serious than a simple ?misunderstanding.
In Florida, it’s a third-degree felony to submit false information on a voter registration form, punishable with a $5,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison.
Now, those of us on the Editorial Board haven’t brushed up on our presidential eligibility recently, but we’re pretty sure felons aren’t allowed to run the country.
Jeb Bush should absolutely be punished to the fullest extent of the law for his offense. He committed a crime, and although he admitted his mistake, those of us on the Editorial Board believe he knew full well what he was doing, and no one seems to care at all.
This isn’t a Democrat/Republican thing. It’s not even a white/Hispanic thing. This man is a major player in American politics, and he has ?committed a felony.
If we let him slide just because he has a famous name, what are we saying about American politicians?
