Gov. Rick Scott and Former Gov. Jeb Bush Both Say They're Not Running for President. One of Them May Be Faking It

By Matthew Hendley Mon., May 23 2011 at 6:15 PM

Categories: Election

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Gov. Rick Scott (left) and former Gov. Jeb Bush both say they're not running for president. The guy with the cue-ball head probably isn't lying.

We're not sure who asked Gov. Rick Scott today if he plans on running for president in the 2012 election, but he made it fairly clear he's not.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also says he's not running for the commander-in-chief spot -- which may or may not be true.

Despite Bush saying he's not running and the fact that his national poll numbers are still pretty miserable -- 44 percent unfavorable, according to Gallop -- it's still a popular belief that he might attempt to take on President Barack Obama in 2012.

Here's what ABC News had to say about Jeb's probability of stepping into the ring as a presidential candidate:

Now, many Bush family loyalists are looking for an alternative to [Indiana Gov. Mitch] Daniels, and some say former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the son and brother of former presidents, should be their guy.
Bush is seen as a conservative heavyweight with executive experience and strong appeal in a key swing state for 2012. He also has name recognition and credibility among Republicans nationwide.
"Jeb probably has a better chance to unite the establishment and Tea Party wings of the GOP than anyone else, certainly a better chance than Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney," National Review editor Rich Lowry wrote earlier this year.

Adding fuel to that fire is polling firm Viewpoint Florida, whose April poll among Florida voters showed that Bush held a 20-point lead over Obama in a hypothetical matchup between the two.

The pollsters also found 26 percent of Democrats surveyed would vote for Bush over Obama if the election were today.

Still, Bush has maintained for some time that he would not seek the GOP nomination for president and reiterated his stance in a statement released yesterday:

"While I am flattered by everyone's encouragement, my decision has not changed," he says. "I will not be a candidate for president in 2012."

Then again, don't forget what Bush told CNN in November while denying a possible presidential run:

"You never say never about anything."

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