As a Republican candidate for president, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush would run circles around the Democratic incumbent in the Sunshine State, according to a poll cited in
The Buzz blog of the St. Petersburg Times. Bush beats President Barack Obama 57 to 38 percent and wins in every region of the state.
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| Jeb Bush: Reluctant candidate still has reason to smile. (Getty Images Photo) |
Bush ranks ahead of Obama among independents, 46 to 40 percent, and peels off a far higher percentage of Democratic voters (more than 1 out of 4) than Obama draws from the Republican electorate (fewer than 1 in 10), GOP polling firm
Viewpoint Florida found.
Bush wins easily among men, with 66 percent, and is chosen by half the women polled. The only demographic that prefers Obama is 18-34, an age group that doesn't vote in numbers comparable to people 34 and older.
Of course, there's this postscript to the story: Despite prodding from other Republicans, Bush has stated repeatedly that he won't run for president in 2012, although he leaves the door open on a possible campaign in 2016.