When Jeb Bush served as Florida’s governor, he said he often referred to the state capital as “Mount Tallahassee” because “it was remote from the people, caught up in the ways of the comfortable establishment.”
So you can see the logic behind Bush’s presidential campaign advisers who dubbed the theme of his Monday speech, “Take Mount Washington.”
But New Hampshirites, who take pride in their own Mount Washington (the highest mountain in the Northeast that boasts “the worst weather in the world”), heard it a bit differently.
New Hampshire state Senate majority leader Jeb Bradley, a Republican who represents the area that includes Mount Washington, got a little defensive.
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“I would highly recommend that he not attempt to downsize our New Hampshire landmark, Mount Washington,” Bradley wrote in an e-mail. “After losing our Old Man of the Mountain, we Granite Staters would not look fondly on anyone attempting to downsize our mountain!”
A former US representative, Bradley understands Bush’s frustrations with the nation’s Capitol. So Bradley, an avid hiker, then offered Bush the opportunity to hike the real Mount Washington.
“This would give him tremendous insight into tackling the many challenges he may face in Washington,” Bradley said. “If Jeb! climbs with Jeb we can discuss the exclamation point!”
(Bush’s campaign logo is “Jeb!”)
The Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary is key to Bush’s prospects to win the GOP nomination — so he might want to make sure he’s in shape for this New Hampshire hike.
James Pindell can be reached at James.Pindell@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jamespindell.