BEDFORD, N.H. — An energetic Jeb Bush tuned up for Saturday evening’s crucial presidential debate with a town hall meeting here before an over-capacity crowd of more than 700.
Voters who turned out to see the former Florida governor for a late morning town hall meeting — many of who were still undecided just three days before Tuesday’s Republican primary — appeared impressed. These Granite Staters, generally narrowing their choices down to Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said the Floridian was a finalist for their support. Bush is currently running fifth in most New Hampshire polls.
“This is the best he’s been in the five times I’ve seen him,” Matt Cairns, 55, said, upon exiting Bush’s Bedford town hall. “I first saw him earlier this summer, and he was a little — getting his message, getting his groove going. But he was on point and really strong, today, on a lot of big issues.”
Cairns, a registered independent from Concord, N.H., has been deciding between Bush and Christie for weeks. New Hampshire permits registered independents to vote in party primaries.
Cairns said Bush’s performance Saturday probably pushed him to the former Florida governor.
“He answered new questions that I hadn’t heard before. He answered them very well. And, this is where he does best. He does not do well on the [debate] stage, and I think he’ll admit that. This is great,” Cairns added. “I think he has closed the deal for me.”
Bush is depending on a strong New Hampshire finish to propel his camaign forward. He has struggled for months, after beginning the race as a front-runner.
The knock on Bush in this campaign is that he lacks the aggressive attitude and fresh face that Republican primary voters want, even if, on paper, this son and brother of the last two GOP presidents is the most qualified for the White House of all his competitors. But on Saturday, Bush spoke with a spark as he urged voters to value his executive experience over the “backbench” candidates who pace the field.
“Who has the record of not cutting and running, of running to the fire? You’re looking at him: Jeb Bush,” he told the crowd.
Bush was clearly referring to Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, his more successful rival so far in the 2016 campaign. Bush this week has been focused on undercutting Rubio in New Hampshire, charging that the senator lacks the experience and guts to serve as president. Rubio has risen to second place in polls here after a strong finish in the Iowa caucuses. Bush views Rubio as an obstacle in his path to the nomination.
Bush didn’t mention Rubio by name during Saturday’s town hall. He called out Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the Iowa caucuses winner and another 2016 front-runner, for his promise to “carpet bomb” the Islamic State. But most of Bush’s ire was directed toward Donald Trump. The billionaire real estate mogul and reality television star has led all Granite State polls for months, but this crowd loved Bush’s digs at him.
Among the first questions asked of Bush during the town hall meeting came from a voter who urged the governor to take Trump out once and for all. Trump has delighted in mocking Bush since he announced for president last June. Bush has escalated his criticism of the New Yorker over the past couple of months.
“Strength is not measured by how you insult others, or push them down to make yourself look better. Strength is not measured by the volume of your voice or the outlandish things you say,” Bush said, in a clear reference to Trump. “Strength is measured by the respect you earn, because people know you have the right stuff.”
“The guy needs therapy,” Bush said.
