Wampum

This morning, I came across this article in Forbes; it wasn't the headline which caught my eye, but the central figure, Florida Governor Jeb Bush:

The Saudis Of The Southern Hemisphere
David Adams 10.09.06, 6:00 AM ET
Miami

In late August, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made headlines when he advocated the importing of Brazilian ethanol duty-free as part of a strategy to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. His comments sent shock waves through the Midwestern corn belt, where most of the nation's ethanol is produced from local crops and blended with gasoline for sale at fueling stations.

Bush's "ethanol initiative" was hardly a new idea, though it was the first time it had been voiced in Florida, one of the nation's largest fuel consumers. His proposal stemmed largely from Florida's almost 100% dependence on oil imports, which makes the state especially vulnerable to price shocks, especially during hurricane season. "This one was one of those lightbulb deals for me," he said. "It was a eureka idea."

Bush released a letter to his brother written in April urging him to implement “a comprehensive ethanol strategy for our country and our hemisphere.” He also attached a detailed nine-page position paper recommending a plan to pump 15 billion gallons of ethanol into the marketplace by 2015, more than twice the federally mandated goal of 7 billion gallons set by Congress last year and amounting to about 10% of U.S. annual gasoline consumption.

Bush is not the only one crying "eureka" these days. In fact, he was only the latest prominent figure to highlight the potential role of Brazilian ethanol as a solution to high oil prices and the need for greater energy independence. The national debate over biofuels is likely to intensify after the November elections as Congress debates new farm and energy bills. Biofuel advocates increasingly find themselves divided, not along party lines but geographic ones.

At the opposite end of the political spectrum from Bush, former President Bill Clinton was recently quoted as saying that Latin America held the potential to "lead the world" in biofuels. In a meeting at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in June, Clinton said investment in renewable fuel by the region's governments would provide a huge boost to their rural economies, providing thousands of new jobs while also protecting the environment.

So why should Democrats be concerned? For one, none of the negative ratings plaguing his big brother seem to be sticking to him. According to the latest Rasmussen polls:

In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush bests his brother with a 64% approval rating of voters and 36% disapproval. The president earns approvals from 41% and disapprovals from 59%.

More importantly, however, at this point, there is no true representative of the Republican corporatist wing who can put up a challenge to McCain and keep the fundies in line. Plus, Jeb doesn't just wear the "I [heart] Latinos" mantle, he lives it, with a Mexican-born wife and comfort-level in Spanish which probably exceeds Dubya's English proficiency.

Will pushing Brazilian ethanol piss off Iowans? Sure. But it also shows Jeb as an independent actor, unwilling to pander just to win the Iowa caucuses. That wins him New Hampshire, and South Carolina naturally falls into his lap just for being a Southern governor.

Just speculating, of course. Why would US voters ever elect another Bush, particularly one with a 33% approval rating? What, just because they did it once before?