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Why Is Jeb Bush Still in the Race?

February 08, 2016
Lori Hanes

Writer

The Context

Glenn is feeling bad for Jeb Bush. The humiliation just keeps piling on for the former governor of Florida (who recently asked a crowd to clap following his impassioned remarks that received no reaction). At this point, there's no mathematical strategy that puts Jeb Bush in a winning position. So, it begs the question, why is he still in the race for president?

Setting the Bar High

Barbara Bush, affectionately known as "Bar" to family and friends is the only woman besides Abigail Adams to be both a wife and a mother to a president of the United States. In a recent interview, she let her disdain for Donald Trump be known, saying "I don't think about him at all . . . I'm sick of him."

Fighting the Good Fight

Glenn shared a theory Monday on The Glenn Beck Program after hearing Barbara Bush's interview.

"What do you think about the theory --- this would make Jeb one of the most honorable men you could ever imagine --- [that] he's going through this humiliation because he and the family believe somebody has got to stand up and say these things about Donald Trump," Glenn speculated.

Could it be that Jeb has agreed to take this beating because he's the only one willing to stand up and say what he's been saying about Donald Trump?

"[What if] he's gone to the family and said, 'I can't take this beating.' And the family has said, 'You've got to. You've got to. This guy can't be president of the United States,'" Glenn further speculated.

Common Sense Bottom Line

If Glenn is right, and Jeb Bush is taking one for the country, it's pretty darn honorable.

"Yeah, you're right," Co-host Pat Gray agreed. "It's pretty honorable if that's what he's doing."

Listen to this segment:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: All right. Let me go -- let me -- let me -- let me start with the humiliation of Jeb Bush.

This really bowled me over the weekend. We played this on Friday. And I don't know if you've heard it yet. It came out last week. And it's just so sad. Listen.

JEB: So here's my pledge to you. I'll be a commander-in-chief that will have the back of the military. I won't trash talk. I won't be a divider-in-chief or an agitator-in-chief. I won't be out there blow-harding, talking a big game without backing it up. I think the next president need to be a lot quieter. It would send a signal that we're prepared to act in the national security interests in this country. To get back into the business of creating a more peaceful world.

Please clap.

(applause)

GLENN: Ugh.

PAT: It gets worse every time.

GLENN: Every time you hear it, it's just so sad and tragic.

PAT: And when you see the video, it's even worse.

JEFFY: Takes that deep breath.

PAT: Please clap.

GLENN: Oh. It's so sad.

PAT: It's agonizing.

GLENN: Okay. So I've been thinking, "Why is he in?" And the answers are: He has a ton of money, and it doesn't matter. But you have the Bush name, okay. You're soiling -- there's no chance of you ever running for anything after just this --

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: -- this roundhouse HEP that you're getting, right?

PAT: Yeah, I think so. I think he's getting bludgeoned. And you don't want your name bludgeoned. You don't want to be considered a loser from here on.

GLENN: You don't want to be considered just a humiliation. It's just a humiliation, all right. And he knows at this point, there's no math that will let him go on. Right?

PAT: I would think so. Yeah.

GLENN: So help me out. There's no mathematical strategy that allows you to lose as badly as he has Iowa and New Hampshire. And they just go on.

PAT: Although he hasn't yet lost in New Hampshire.

JEFFY: Right.

GLENN: Where is he in the polls? Fifth?

PAT: I think he's fifth, yeah. I think he's polling fifth. So that's bad in New Hampshire.

GLENN: Fifth. That's bad in New Hampshire. Especially since New Hampshire is the place that he would probably do the best.

PAT: Yeah, and he had 3 percent in Iowa. So there's really not --

GLENN: I mean, really bad. So I just don't believe it's the money thing because the name is too big.

Listen to a speech he gave just this weekend.

JEB: It's a sign of weakness when you scare Muslims, law-abiding, peaceful Muslims that are as patriotic as anybody in this room, that are citizens of this country by sending a signal that they're not worthy of being respected. It's a sign of deep weakness when you do that.

(applauding)

And it's a sign of weakness when you -- when you make fun of the disabled. What kind of man would do that? You do not want that man as president of the United States. I can promise you that.

(applauding)

And, by the way, let me echo what Lindsey said. It is a sign of real weakness when you call John McCain or Leo HEP Thorsnus or anybody else that was a POW who served this country in a way that should be admired, American heroes, calling them losers. Donald Trump, you're the loser.

(applause)

GLENN: He gets a standing ovation on that line.

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: Now, this came to me on the weekend when I saw Barbara Bush on television. Listen to this.

BARBARA: He doesn't give many answers to how he would solve problems. He sort of makes faces and says insulting things. I mean, he's said terrible things about women. Terrible things about military. I don't understand why people are for him, for that reason. I'm a woman. I'm not crazy about what he says about women.

VOICE: Mrs. Bush, what do you think of Donald Trump? You're known for being blunt and plainspoken.

BARBARA: I don't think about it him at all. I think about Jeb and the qualified candidate.

VOICE: You dodged me on Donald Trump. Do you want to --

BARBARA: No.

VOICE: You want to go full New Jersey on Donald Trump?

BARBARA: No, no. I do not. I don't even think about him. I'm sick of him. That's very strong.

GLENN: So I heard the disdain. When she said, "I don't think about him," that is the lowest insult you can give to somebody.

PAT: Especially Donald Trump.

GLENN: Yeah. I don't think about you at all. She knew what she was saying. I don't think about you at all. And then she said, "I'm sick of him." What do you think about the theory -- this would make Jeb one of the most honorable men you could ever imagine. He's going through this humiliation because he and the family believe something has got -- somebody has got to stand up and say these things about Donald Trump.

PAT: And try to bring Trump down?

GLENN: Yeah. No chance of winning --

PAT: Well, he's the only one doing it. He's the only one doing it.

JEFFY: Yeah.

PAT: So maybe. I don't know.

GLENN: He's willing to take on -- he's gone to the family and said, "I can't take this beating." And the family has said, "You've got to. You've got to. This guy can't be president of the United States. Look at what he says about women. Look at how he responds to the military. This guy can't be president of the United States. And you know that be with Jeb. You have to stay in. You have to stay because nobody else is saying these things."

PAT: Yeah, you're right. It's pretty honorable if that's what he's doing.

JEFFY: Sure is.

GLENN: Really honorable. Don't know if that's what he's doing.

Featured Image: Republican Presidential candidate Jeb Bush holds a town hall at Woodbury School February 7, 2016 in Salem, New Hampshire. Candidates are in a last push for votes ahead of the first in the nation primary on February 9. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.