Andrew Card, chief of staff during President George W. Bush's administration, tells
Newsmax TV that while Donald Trump is not his first choice for the GOP nomination, he does like the businessman's positive message and thinks he can beat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
"Most people express frustration, and they sound negative," Card said Wednesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show." But Trump "echoes the frustration by being positive about the change that could come. That's exciting."
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Card said he favored former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who dropped out after a disappointing fourth-place finish in South Carolina.
"I think Jeb Bush is very presidential and would've been a great president," Card said, but "He's out of the race. Donald Trump has proven that he's a vote-getter. He's also evidently a vote keeper," and is likely to maintain his momentum as the field continues to shrink.
Card wouldn't call Trump's nomination inevitable, "but I think it's highly likely," he said.
Card says he still has a bias for governors because they have the experience of having to work with legislatures and through bureaucracies they did not create to get things done. CEOs like Trump are essentially "mini dictators" who can force those under them to do what they want.
The only governor left in the race is Ohio's John Kasich, who is near the bottom of national polls with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Card said that though his bias falls to Kasich, he isn't endorsing him.
"I am intrigued by Donald Trump," he said. "I love the way he speaks for the people, and I love the positive. I'm an optimist. I certainly don't want to have a pessimist as a president."
Trump is definitely an optimist, Card said. "I don't think he wakes up every morning saying, 'It's going to be a terrible day. I don't know what I'm going to do.' It's important for a president to be an optimist."
While Trump doesn't have the benefit of being a governor, his experience as a CEO is still a positive, Card said, as is his celebrity.
"What a gift he's given the Republican Party in terms of getting eyeballs and ears from people whose eyeballs and ears probably wouldn't be paying attention," he said.
Card was, however, disappointed in Trump's attacks on his old boss, President George W. Bush, whom Trump has said handled the fight against terrorism and the Iraq War badly.
"I love George W. Bush because I watched him make very, very difficult decisions," Card said. "I was Velcroed to President Bush at that time, and I can tell you he did a great job and he didn't do what Donald Trump claims he did. He did a good job protecting America."
Card, unlike many in the GOP establishment, believes Trump can beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in November.
"I think she's pretty damaged, and I think she's going to be more bruised going through this process than anyone would've anticipated a year ago," he said.
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