WASHINGTON — Jeb Bush says all the speculation about whether he’ll run for president in 2016 is actually getting him more attention than if he had already entered the race.
The former Republican governor of Florida said that’s not by design, and that he’ll make his decision before year’s end.
He told Fox News Channel in an interview airing Sunday that the state of politics is « crazy right now. »
Bush says one factor in his decision will be whether he can deliver an optimistic, hopeful message without getting drawn into a political « mud fight. » He says the other main factor in his decision will be whether it’s OK with his family if he ran.
Bush has antagonized many Republicans by supporting an immigration overhaul and educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade known as Common Core.
On immigration, he said that those who come into the country illegally generally do so because they had no other means to provide for their family, and what they did is « not a felony. »
« It’s an act of love. It’s an act of commitment to your family, » Bush said. « I honestly think that that is a different kind of crime. There should be a price paid, but it shouldn’t rile people up that people are actually coming to this country to provide for their families. »
The interview with Bush occurred at his father’s presidential library during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of George. H. W. Bush’s presidency.