Let The Motivating Begin

According to the New York Times, Jeb Bush is considering bringing in his brother and former President to provide a boost to his campaign. This ‘shock-and-awe’ treatment might make sense since Jeb Bush is currently polling at around 10% (which also makes sense because another Bush presidency would likely only benefit the wealthiest 10% of Americans).

Apparently, the Jeb! campaign has determined that people need to be motivated to vote for Jeb Bush. So bringing in his brother is a smart move. Since 2009 the former president has been giving motivational speeches which, according to Politico, net him between $100,000 and $175,000 per appearance. But lest you start thinking that these speeches are merely fluff designed simply to “refill the coffers”, consider these actual speeches that George W. Bush has made in the last few years:

* A speech to the National Grocers Association. Here, the former president talked about Abu Ghraib and warned the grocers present to always be on the lookout for “bad apples.”

* A speech to a boat builders association. The former president reflected upon his time in office, discussed the financial crisis, and then gave tips on how to “handle a sinking ship.”

* A speech to the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. Here the former president warned about how using brutish and sloppy techniques could easily turn senior-bathing into a form of waterboarding.

* A 2012 speech at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit on Grand Cayman Island. Here the former president urged the audience members to “believe in America, but bank in the Caymans.”

Motivating stuff, definitely worth each of the 10,000,000 pennies spent for a 1-hour speech. Sure, Harry Truman once bemoaned the practice of ex-presidents cashing in on their former job, but that’s why Harry Truman could never afford a cigarette boat.

Let the motivating begin!