Republican policies and ideals do well—outside of Washington, former Gov. Jeb Bush said.
“Republicans win when we focus on economic growth that creates jobs and reforming how government works,” Bush said on Morning Joe. “That’s our message that’s the winning message.”
The country has 30 Republican governors, Bush said, and those who are running “will probably get reelected... because they’re focused on those issues and not on overreaching and not saying we have half of 1/3 of the power in Washington therefore we have ¾ of the ability to get things done.”
“That’s some math!” host Joe Scarborough said with a laugh.
Bush said he feels the party should “refocus where our strengths are, which is outside Washington," Bush said. "We win when we focus on a positive agenda, we lose when we're reacting to what goes on in Washington."
Bush said he believes immigration reform is a Republican ideal.
"An economically driven immigration system -- i think that's a conversative idea. It oughta be passed," he said on Thursday. Bush has been a longtime advocate of immigration reform and it was his brother, President George W. Bush who nearly passed an immigration reform bill in 2007 before it was busted by an anti-immigration group.
"I hope the leadership in the House brings it back and creates a conservative alternative that a majority of House members could support," he said. "Look our immigration system is broken, it doesn't work, and we have a chance to fix it."