“If Americans are working harder than ever earning less than they once did, our government and our leaders should step up, offer a plan, fix what’s wrongor they should step aside,” Bush told the Detroit Economic Club. “The recovery has been everywhere but in the family paychecks. The American Dream has become a mirage for far too many.”
READ: Jeb Bush heads to Iowa next month
Pivoting strongly to his message of a “right to rise,” Bush used the Detroit backdrop to face criticism of Republicans’ interest in large, metropolitan areas.
“I know some in the media think conservatives don’t care about the cities,” he said. “But they’re wrong. We believe that every American and in every community has a right to pursue happiness.”
The way to bring about that success, he said, would be through conservative principles, not taxes or welfare programs.
Aides say Bush is focusing on a general election run and won’t be bogged down by traditional campaign strategies for a primary — running so far to the right, he won’t be able to win the political center.
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“I was encouraged to consider it,” by some of the owners, he said. “It was nine months prior to … ending my tenure as governor. And to be honest with you that’s the greatest job in the world — being governor of a state. And I could have never imagined abandoning that job.”
Luckily for him, he stuck to his instincts to complete all eight years of his governorship, and did not pursue the post.
After a season plagued by the Ray Rice scandal and “Deflategate”, he seemed relieved.
“It’s not as easy of a job as it might have appeared in 2007,” he said.
Those are the same instincts he hopes will take him to the White House.
CNN’s Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report.
