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Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton Appear In Dallas Before Bush Presidential Center Dedication

U.S. State Dept., Gage Skidmore (cc)
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wikimedia

Two potential presidential candidates are in Dallas today. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will talk about immigration to one organization. Then in the evening, past Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will address a group of apartment executives.  

                                  

Former President George W. Bush’s brother Jeb Bush, will talk to the Dallas World Affairs Council at noon. He’ll be introduced by his son, George P. Bush, who’s also seeking the Republican nomination for Texas Land Commissioner. SMU political science professor Cal Jillson says Jeb Bush is walking a fine line among Republicans over immigration reform.

“He’s still in that process of trying to craft a position on immigration that’ll be acceptable to the Republican primary electorate, which is quite conservative, and the general electorate which is expecting comprehensive immigration reform.

Jillson says Bush is in the process of honing a national immigration policy.

“It doesn’t hurt even an accomplished politician like Jeb Bush to test his messaging and to work on getting a stump speech down before he goes public in a national context. So this is a good dry run for him.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton gives her first paid speech since leaving the Secretary of State post.  She’ll address board members of the National Multi Housing Council at a dinner closed to reporters. Jillson says although Texans elect Republicans statewide, lots of Texans like Democrats.

“There are 26, 27 million Texans and not quite half of them are Democrats and lots of those Democrats are rich.”

So Jillson says there is plenty of Democratic money for presidential hopefuls like Hillary Clinton to tap into. Clinton and Jeb Bush may have their eyes on the presidency in 2016, but they’re both here now for Thursday’s dedication of The George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU. 

Bill Zeeble has been a full-time reporter at KERA since 1992, covering everything from medicine to the Mavericks and education to environmental issues.