MR. SANDERS: AFTER DETERMINING
THAT LARRY SOUNDED MORE LIKE ME
THAN I DID, WE JUST SAID, LARRY
IS THE GUY.
JOSH: SPOUSES OFTEN PLAY A KEY
ROLE IN THESE CAMPAIGNS, AND WE
SEE SOFTER SIDE TO THESE
CANDIDATES.
AMONG THEM, FORMER FLORIDA
GOVERNOR JEB BUSH.
THE REPUBLICAN SAYS IT WAS LOVE
AT FIRST SIGHT AND GETS EVEN
MORE PASSIONATE WHEN TALKING
ABOUT HIS WIFE THEN WHEN HE
TALKS ABOUT FOOTBALL.
IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR JEB BUSH
TO LOOSEN UP AROUND THIS TABLE
OF VOTERS AT THE AIRPORT NINE
OR, AND HE JUST STARTED TALKING
ABOUT HIS FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM.
MR. BUSH: IT IS FANTASTIC.
IF YOU LIKE FOOTBALL -- BUT IT
GETS YOU INTO CONFLICTS.
I AM A DOLPHINS FAN, BUT I
STARTED CHEERING RIGHT OFF THE
BAT WHEN ANY -- WHEN NE SCORED.
I HAVE GRONK ON MY FANTASY
FOOTBALL LIST.
YOU GET CONFLICTED OUT THERE.
THE LEAGUE'S ALL FAMILY MEMBERS
AND ONE FRIEND.
JOSH: THE FOOTBALL LINGO WAS
JUST BEGINNING.
MR. BUSH: MY DIET WOULD BE A 15
YARD PENALTY LOSS O DOWN.
THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO EAT.
JOSH: HIS ENVY OVER THE FOOD
BEING BROUGHT TO THE TABLE
CONTINUED AS WELL.
MR. BUSH: GOSH, I AM SO JEALOUS.
WOW.
BRAVO.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
JOSH: AS MUCH AS THE MEAL MADE
HIM SMILE, TO REALLY SEE JEB
BUSH LIGHT UP, JUST ASK HIM
ABOUT HIS WIFE.
MR. BUSH: SHE WAS MEXICAN, I WAS
TEXAN.
I WAS TALL, SHE WAS SHORT.
SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, I WASN'T.
[LAUGHTER]
MR. BUSH: AS I SAID, I AM
NORMALLY NOT JUST IMPETUOUS
ABOUT SOMETHING.
IT DEFINED MY LIFE, TRULY,
MEETING MY WIFE.
IT HAS BEEN THE SINGLE BIGGEST
DRIVER OF WHATEVER SUCCESS I
HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE.
IN HER CASE, SHE WAS A LITTLE
MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT IT.
BUT I AM GLAD, BECAUSE THESE ARE
DECISIONS YOU DON'T WANT TO MESS
UP.
JOSH: DEFINED HIS LIFE FROM THE
MOMENT HE MET HER.
MR. BUSH: WHAT KIND OF STUDENT
WAS I?
THERE WAS A STUDENT QUESTION,
AND THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
THERE IS BC AND AC.
BEFORE COLUMBA AND AFTER
COLUMBA.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE EVER
HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.
I HAD THAT.
I WAS A SKINNY, I WAS THE SAME
HEIGHT, SIX FOOT FOUR, I LOST 20
POUNDS IN THREE WEEKS.
I COULDN'T EAT.
[LAUGHTER]
MR. BUSH: THIS GIRL JUST TURNED
ME UPSIDE DOWN AND CHANGED MY
LIFE.
EFFECTIVELY INTO GOO YEARS, I
GRADUATED SUMMA CUM LAUDE.
BC WAS BEFORE COLUMBA, AND AC
WANTED TO FINISH AS FAST AS I
COULD TO MARRY HER.
SHE SAID IT WAS TOO TALL, SHE IS
FIVE FOOT ZERO.
I HONESTLY THINK SHE COULD NOT
ENVISION LIVING WITH SOMEONE OF
THAT HEIGHT DIFFERENCE.
SO I JUST DECIDED TO WEAR HER
OUT.
FINALLY IT WORKED.
JOSH: SO WHEN HE WAS THINKING
ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, HER
OPINION IN HER BLESSING WAS A
NECESSITY.
MR. BUSH: SHE WAS SUPPORTIVE
WHEN I GOT SERIOUS ABOUT
THINKING ABOUT IT.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR SPOUSE TO
BE ALL IN, RIGHT?
IT'S JUST NOT FAIR FOR YOUR
LOVED ONES THAT YOU CARE FOR IF
THEY ARE NOT HAPPY IN ANY KIND
OF SITUATION.
SO THE HARD DECISION FOR ME WAS
TO MAKE SURE THAT MY FAMILY WAS
GOOD WITH THIS.
AND SHE TOLD, SHE TOLD SOMEBODY
THAT NOT ALLOWING ME TO RUN
WOULD BE LIKE TELLING A CONCERT
VIOLINIST THAT THEY COULDN'T
PLAY THE VIOLIN.
JOSH: THESE DAYS, HIS
GRANDCHILDREN ALSO MAKE HIM
SMILE, AND BEING WITH THEM AS HE
WATCHES THEM GROW UP AS A
PRIORITY.
MR. BUSH: I GOT FOUR GRANDKIDS.
ARE YOU ALL IN THAT LEAGUE?
OH YEAH.
MR. BUSH: ONCE THEY START
COMING, THEY COME FAST.
THEY JUST BRING SO MUCH JOY TO
MY LIFE.
I LIKE TO HAVE SUNDAY FUN DAYS.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SPEND THE
PAST TWO SUNDAYS AT HOME, BUT
THE NEXT ONE I WILL.
JOSH: HE STILL LOOKS TO HIS MOM
FOR GUIDANCE.
MR. BUSH: SHE WAS ON "THE TODAY
SHOW."
THE VERY LAST QUESTION IS, "WHAT
DO YOU THINK JEB SHOULD DO?"
AND SHE SAID, "I DON'T THINK HE
SHOULD RUN, TOO MANY CLINTONS,
TOO MANY BUSHES."
AND I SAID, "REALLY MOM?
THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK OF ME?"
[LAUGHTER]
MR. BUSH: AND THEN SHE CAME
AROUND ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER
AND NOW SHE IS JUST A MOM WITH
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
JOSH: AND IN HIS FAMILY, IT WAS
CLEAR WHO TOOK ON THE JOB OF
IDENTIFYING AND TEACHING BETWEEN
RIGHT AND WRONG.
MR. BUSH: HANG OUT WITH BARBARA
BUSH FOR A LITTLE BIT, YOU WILL
GET THE WRONG PART QUICK AND THE
RIGHT PART, MY DAD KIND OF
HANDLES, SO MY KIDS WOULD SPEND
MAYBE THREE WEEKS OR A MONTH
THERE AND THEY WOULD COME HOME
AND THEY WOULD IMMEDIATELY LOOK
YOU IN THE EYE AND TALK TO YOU
AND THEY WOULD SHAKE HANDS WITH
STRANGERS AND ADULT AND SAY,
"YES, SIR," AND "NO, MA'AM."
THEY POUNDED THE THINGS INTO
THEM WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP.
JOSH: BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF
THOSE STORIES ABOUT HIS FAMILY,
AND MANY OF THOSE CENTER AROUND
HIS TIME AS GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA.
MR. BUSH: ONE OF THE E-MAILS I
GOT WAS FROM A LADY, AN ELDERLY
WOMAN, WHO WAS, I THINK, 85.
I GUESS I AM EATING.
[LAUGHTER]
MR. BUSH: THANK YOU.
SHE WAS UPSET THAT A RACCOON WAS
IN HER ATTIC.
AND SHE GOT MY E-MAIL AND SHE
WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL I
WAS GOING TO DO ABOUT IT.
SO I TOLD HER I WAS ON IT AND
THAT WAS AT 10:00 AT NIGHT AND
WHEN I CAME TO WORK THE NEXT
MORNING, I THINK IT WAS LANTANA
OR DELRAY BEACH, AND I CALLED
THE CITY MANAGER AND I SAID,
THIS SWEET LADY JUST SENT ME AN
E-MAIL, GAVE ME HER ADDRESS, AND
SAID SHE'S GOT A VARMINT IN HER
ATTIC, AND SHE SAYS, WHAT AM I
GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT
ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
AND HE GOT THE ANIMAL CONTROL
PEOPLE OUT THAT DAY.
JOSH: HE SAYS THAT WAS A LITTLE
EASIER TO SOLVE THAN SOME OF THE
OTHER CHALLENGES HE FACED,
INCLUDING WHEN FLORIDA WAS
RAVAGED BY HURRICANES AND HE
VISITED THOSE AFFECTED BY THE
DEVASTATION.
MR. BUSH: SHE CAME UP TO ME AND
SHE JUST HUGGED ME AND SHE
WOULDN'T LET GO.
BECAUSE SHE JUST WANTED TO BE
HUNG.
FOR FIVE MINUTES SHE JUST
WOULDN'T LET GO.
SO I JUST HUGGED HER.
I RUBBED HER NECK AND THEN SHE
SAID AND THEN SHE FINALLY TALKED
AND SHE SAID, "I LOST
EVERYTHING."
AND I SAY, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
AND SHE SAID, "I'M VOLUNTEERING
FOR THE SALVATION ARMY."
I MEAN, I HAVE THOUSANDS OF
STORIES LIKE THIS THAT ARE JUST
COMPELLING ABOUT THE NATURE OF
PEOPLE.
WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH, AMERICANS
DO THIS.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE.
JOSH: PRETTY SERIOUS STUFF.
SO IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO BE
LIGHTHEARTED.
WHAT IS IT LIKE WHEN YOUR
DEVICES COME UP TO YOU AND SAY,
YOU KNOW WHAT, BE MORE FUNNY?
MR. BUSH: AAAAAAAAHHHHH.