Jeb Bush thinks the American people should be a “little less gender specific” when talking about future vice presidents.
Bush talked openly about enlisting a female running mate, despite polling around 5 percent nationwide and trailing four other GOP presidential candidates in RealClearPolitics’ average of national polls.
Bush answered a question about whether to increase the power of the vice president with a slip of the tongue that hinted he may want to serve with a female vice president.
“Should I be elected president, I would have my vice president — I think she will be a great partner. I mean, did I say that out loud?” Bush said on Tuesday. “We always talk about this with one gender in mind. I think we’ve reached the point in our country where maybe we should be a little less gender specific about this.”
Bush did not reveal which women he thought could capably serve as vice president. In 2012, Bush argued that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, now a rival GOP candidate, would be the “best choice” for the vice presidency.
The governor’s remarks came at a town hall event in Iowa, where the governor will spend three days this week. Bush, who fell to sixth in the Washington Examiner‘s newest GOP presidential power rankings, will visit Washington, D.C., on Thursday for a Republican Jewish Coalition event.
