St. Petersburg, Florida -- There's more than cheerleading motivating top Florida Republican leaders Pam Bondi, Adam Putnam, and Jeff Atwater to endorse former Gov. Jeb Bush for president on Friday.
That's the insight from 10 News political analyst Lars Hafner after the joint endorsement came out from Florida's attorney general, commissioner of agriculture, and chief financial officer.
In addition to those the three cabinet members, 11 of Florida's 17 Republican members of Congress announced they're getting behind Bush three days before Bush is set to make his presidential candidacy official on Monday in South Florida.
Bush "is the type of leader our country is looking for in our next President. I look forward to traveling around Florida and across our country to talk directly to voters about Jeb Bush's vision for the future," Bondi said in a statement released Friday by the Bush team.
"What do those endorsements mean? Probably not a whole lot," Hafner told me. "It's probably more for those individuals who are endorsing him, because they still see Jeb Bush -- win or lose -- as the kingmaker in Florida."
Bush's most prominent Republican challenger from Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio, has a background as a U.S. Senator and Speaker of the Florida House, but does not carry the political or financial connections of Bush.
In addition, Rubio has opted to go all-in with his run for president in 2016; he will not be running again for U.S. Senate. So if Rubio doesn't make it to the White House or the Vice President's Mansion, he'll no longer hold a major influential office.
Hafner said from the standpoint of an up-and-coming Republican in Florida, that lack of position would hurt Rubio's clout as a political ally in Florida. Bush, on the other hand, has a network and name that has proven to stand on its own, even out of elective office.
"These individuals who are wanting to be ambitious and run for higher office in the future are endorsing [Bush] because they still feel, regardless of outcomes, he's going to be a kingmaker and a player in Florida politics for a long time to come," Hafner said.
