(CNN) - Jeb Bush, Jr., the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, said Tuesday morning he "certainly" wants his dad to run for president.
Asked on CNN's "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien" if he wants to see his father make a White House bid, Bush said, "I don't know. No comment. I certainly hope so."
"Giving you the full loaf of bread right there," he continued, smiling.
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Jeb Bush, the former governor, flirted with a presidential bid last year, but declined to run. With high popularity in the Hispanic community–his wife is from Mexico and he speaks Spanish–his name has resurfaced as a strong contender in 2016, now that many in the party say the GOP needs to better connect with Latinos.
"We really have to work on our ground game, have to work on our messaging," Jeb Bush, Jr. said Tuesday.
He pointed to his uncle, former President George W. Bush, as an example of someone who "showed that you can be successful with Hispanics and be Republican."
"He showed up in Hispanic communities. He spoke a little Spanish," he continued. "I think that candidness really came across well. (Sen. John) McCain and Gov. Romney didn't do a good job, but I think in 2016 we'll hopefully have a candidate that certainly focuses on that."
He also weighed in on Sen. Marco Rubio's controversial comments about the age of the earth, which Rubio argued was one of "the great mysteries" on Monday.
"It was a strange question and I guess kind of a head-scratching type of answer," he said. "We've got to be a pro-science and pro-technology party. I think Marco Rubio is just that. But we also can't forget about our traditional values."
Rubio has repeatedly said he considers Jeb Bush, Sr., to be his close friend and mentor.
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush, Jr.'s brother, George P. Bush, has taken steps to run for a statewide office in Texas.
Keep dreaming Jr. Your uncle has tarnished your family name and none of you will ever sit in the Oval Office again. We don't care if your daddy is the "smart one." NO MORE BUSH'S!!!!
someone else living in a dream world... Welcome to the Mitt Romney home for the mentally unhinged
"I don't know. No comment. I certainly hope so."
It's more the oldest Bush who is speaking these words!
Lord helps us all another Bush on the pipe line. We haven’ got out from George W. Bush mess yet another is coming?
No, thanks. The last 2 Presidents from your family have brought us 3 wars. And your uncle left this country in a disastrous condition that even your dad concedes.
No, thanks. You and daddy can stay at home.
Enough of the Bushes, in this country this is no royal family, get over it and get a real job.
First of all, who would name their child "Jeb"?
Having said that, two words for you Jeb, Jr.: TRY IT.
George W. Bush succeeded with the Latino communities because he enacted policies that made it more attractive for illegals to come this country and find work. Try a web search on the history of the IRS I-9 Form, eye-nine. The GWB administration and the Republican controlled Congress stopped the requirement that employers keep the document on file for INS inspection.
Basically, they threw the only check and balance on hiring illegals out the window. That's why Bush and Republicans had experienced such a rise in popularity among Latinos. It was jobs. If you don't believe me, go ask someone from the Latino community. The perception was that Republicans were for jobs for Latinos who were here illegally. From a conservative perspective the Latino workers represented a cheap labor force that could break unions.
So do we, Jeb Jr. We'd love to beat around a Bush in 2016.
No more Bush please. Do they think their clan knows more than the others?? They are like Bill O'Reilly of Fox News, who thinks his small head is better than the many, many other heads. They are wrong.
Jeb is definitely smart enough and liked well enough to win the nomination, but after the lefties harassed his brother for eight years, why would he subject himself to that kind of treatment? He doesn't need the money. BTW George W. will be more highly regarded than Obama in a few short years.
No way this country elects another Bush
With the amount of anti-Bush backlash, created by Obama, the odds of that succeeding are practically nil.
Good Grief, don't we have enough of the Bush family living off government pensions already. No way this country elects another Bush!!
Of course he does, especially now that the GOP have successfully brainwashed half of the American people that it wasn't Bush, Jr. that wrecked our economy. That all of this is on Obama. They kept him out of the spotlight and probably under lock and key, bound and gagged.
I just have one more thing to say....... Well two.
NO MORE BUSHS' EVER IN THE WHITE HOUSE!
Jeb, we have NOT forgotten how you stole the election for your brother!
Yeah, that's all we need. Another Bush in the White House. I guess the first two didn't destroy this country's economy enough. Out of 300 million citizens, is this the best we can do as a nation?
jeb likes to be called the education governor of Florida. when he came to office Florida ranked in bottom 5 – right where it was when he left. He's the smart one???
By the way, Lyin' Ayn Ryan (who lost his home town and his home state) and Prince Reebus ( who was instrumental in the shellacking the republicans took in November) have been doing victory laps gearing up for the 2016 run. Jeb does not stand a chance against Ayn in the primaries.
Sadly, Jeb has the wrong last name to ever be sucessful on the national stage again.
Unfortunately for Jeb, even with his supposed popularity with the Hispanic community, unless the GOP changes it's "deport them all, no questions asked" mantra it won't help
God no! No more Bush's in the white house!!! The last 2 were absolute disasters!!!
If only he had been the one elected in 2000 instead of his disaster of a brother, we might not be in the hole we're in right now. But he wasn't, we are, too late, adios.
after all that happened in the last election and even the one in 2008 I have one thing to say.."be careful what you wish for"
Read my lips.....no more Bushes!
I would like to thank CNN for sharing the one of the hopes and dreams of Jeb Bush Jr.
Here in the real world, we hope we never see another Bush running for president again.
Both Bushes brought us war
Both Bush presidencies ended in recession (one worse than the other)
Not only can this country NOT afford another Bush presidency
We can't afford another Republican
It's not just Bush that's bad, it's Republican policy all together
AND OBAMA DID NOT CREATE BUSH BACKLASH!
BUSH CREATED BUSH BACKLASH