"Nine in 10 Republican insiders from the early states think former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s support for Common Core hurts his presidential prospects, but only a small minority believes that his backing of the education standards will prove fatal.
The POLITICO Caucus, our weekly bipartisan survey of the most important activists, operatives and elected officials in Iowa and New Hampshire, asked participants to rank on a scale of zero to 10 how politically problematic it is for a GOP presidential candidate to back Common Core in their state —
with zero being totally inconsequential and 10 being disqualifying. The average response was a 6.
“This is the number-one issue Bush faces in Iowa with caucusgoers,” said a top Iowa Republican, who — like all 81 respondents — completed the questionnaire anonymously in order to speak candidly.
“Right now, it’s a big issue among suburban GOP women,” added a New Hampshire Republican, “which is a demographic that is central to him winning New Hampshire.”
Common Core has plummeted in popularity over the last two years, especially among Republicans. The math and English Language Arts standards originally grew out of the bipartisan National Governors Association, but they’re now known by many conservative activists as “ObamaCore.”
The GOP-controlled state legislature in New Hampshire just passed a bill allowing school districts to opt out of Common Core.
Bush, who cultivated a brand as an education-focused governor in Florida, has refused to back down from his support. Only a few months ago he mocked the program’s conservative critics and called the debate “troubling.” As he’s recognized the issue’s toxicity, he’s toned down his rhetoric and now stresses that he opposes federal curriculum mandates.
But, crucially, the people who are angriest about this are the least likely to vote for Bush anyway.
For their part, Republican governors like Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal and Scott Walker have all backed away from the standards after implementing them in their states. Rick Perry, one of the few governors to oppose them from the beginning, calls it “every bit as problematic as Obamacare.” Ted Cruz promises to “repeal every word” if elected. Jindal brags that he’s suing the federal government to block it." Politico
The POLITICO Caucus, our weekly bipartisan survey of the most important activists, operatives and elected officials in Iowa and New Hampshire, asked participants to rank on a scale of zero to 10 how politically problematic it is for a GOP presidential candidate to back Common Core in their state —
“This is the number-one issue Bush faces in Iowa with caucusgoers,” said a top Iowa Republican, who — like all 81 respondents — completed the questionnaire anonymously in order to speak candidly.
“Right now, it’s a big issue among suburban GOP women,” added a New Hampshire Republican, “which is a demographic that is central to him winning New Hampshire.”
Common Core has plummeted in popularity over the last two years, especially among Republicans. The math and English Language Arts standards originally grew out of the bipartisan National Governors Association, but they’re now known by many conservative activists as “ObamaCore.”
The GOP-controlled state legislature in New Hampshire just passed a bill allowing school districts to opt out of Common Core.
Bush, who cultivated a brand as an education-focused governor in Florida, has refused to back down from his support. Only a few months ago he mocked the program’s conservative critics and called the debate “troubling.” As he’s recognized the issue’s toxicity, he’s toned down his rhetoric and now stresses that he opposes federal curriculum mandates.
But, crucially, the people who are angriest about this are the least likely to vote for Bush anyway.
For their part, Republican governors like Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal and Scott Walker have all backed away from the standards after implementing them in their states. Rick Perry, one of the few governors to oppose them from the beginning, calls it “every bit as problematic as Obamacare.” Ted Cruz promises to “repeal every word” if elected. Jindal brags that he’s suing the federal government to block it." Politico
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