News-Gazette Video/Andrew Sullivan

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

Former Gov. Jeb Bush campaigned on behalf of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney Tuesday at the Robert Guevara Community Center in Buenaventura Lakes, rallying the Hispanic vote for the GOP.

After a standing ovation from a roomful of supporters, Bush encourage attendees to vote for the Romney/Paul Ryan ticket Nov. 6 to create “robust economic growth and restore America’s greatness.”

He referenced America’s fertility rate has been lower than France’s rate for three years.

“That’s a leading indicator of the pessimism that exists. What kind of country do we have when young people are deciding ‘No, I better not bring a child into the world because I can’t guarantee that child will have more opportunities than I had,’” he said. “We need a dramatically different path.”

The Osceola County Republican Party passed out T-shirts, lawn signs and bumper stickers while encouraging residents to volunteer.

Bush discussed the 10-10-10 plan, where one person persuades 10 people to vote for Romney, encourages 10 people to pray for the country’s leaders and get 10 people to repeat the process.

Bush described Romney’s platform as one which would simplify regulations and the tax code, invest in American energy rather than in overseas countries and  one which would create an “aspirational society” allowing for economic prosperity for all Americans.

“That’s the American way,” he said.

Kissimmee City Commissioner Wanda Rentas, who helped introduce Bush, said the importance of small rallies such as this one to promote Romney and Ryan was because “we want to take our country back.”

Bush likened this time in America to 1980, where the economy was on a downward turn, the unemployment rate was similar to today, inflation rate was in the double digits and the crime rate was around 18 percent.

“The country was at a crossroads and we chose someone (Ronald Reagan) who had a clear vision, who trusted Americans, who equipped them right and trusted them to be the solution rather than telling people to get in line and depend on government as the solution to life’s challenges,” Bush said.

“I hope this election, at a similar kind of crossroads, that people will have confidence Mitt Romney will reach across the aisle to begin to solve problems as he did as governor of Massachusetts, but stand firm on the principles that created American greatness and restore it.”

Kissimmee Vice Mayor Art Otero, who is running for House of Representatives District 43 as a Republican, said although neither Romney nor Ryan has made a campaign stop in Osceola County, the GOP has worked to include Hispanic residents.

“They have built a grassroots effort to reach the Hispanic community,” Otero said, adding Romney still has time to campaign in Osceola County. “The effort we’re making here says we care for this community as well.”