Jeb Bush Finds 2012 GOP Debate Rhetoric 'A Little Troubling'

Jeb Bush Sounds 2012 Warning

Jeb Bush finds some of the rhetoric in the GOP presidential debates "a little troubling."

"I used to be a conservative and I watch these debates and I'm wondering, I don't think I've changed, but it's a little troubling sometimes when people are appealing to people's fears and emotion rather than trying to get them to look over the horizon for a broader perspective and that's kind of where we are," said the former Florida governor Thursday while answering a question from the audience during a speech in Dallas, according to Fox News. "I think it changes when we get to the general election. I hope."

In an interview with a local CBS affiliate, Bush cautioned the contenders not to campaign too far to the right. "I think it’s important for the candidates to recognize though they have to appeal to primary voters, and not turn off independent voters that will be part of a winning coalition," said the younger brother of former President George W. Bush.

Bush, who successfully courted the Hispanic vote in two terms as governor of Florida, has previously voiced concerns about immigration rhetoric coming from the GOP field. In an interview with Bloomberg before the Florida primary, he said that he didn't agree with Mitt Romney on immigration but likes him. The New York Times reported that Bush personally voiced his concern on immigration to Romney.

Bush shot down speculation that he would enter the 2012 race and said that the nominee would be one of the candidates currently in the race.

Former Bush White House Senior Adviser Karl Rove said he shared Jeb Bush's concern Thursday in an interview on "Fox News." "Look, I share his concern," he said. "These debates have tended to sort of focus the effort on exactly what he says -- operating out of fear, in part, because of the nature of the kind of questions and the fact that they're all trying to gain an advantage over each other.

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