Jeb Bush has quietly consulted former Republican presidential nominee John McCain about how to run for president without pandering to conservatives in a GOP primary, according to a new report.

The New York Times, in a story published Friday, examines the former Florida governor’s thinking on a possible campaign. The story notes that Bush seems to be leaning towards running, but has no desire to change some of his political positions to win over the party’s base.

When former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida quietly visited Senator John McCain in his Capitol Hill office this fall, discussion turned to a subject of increasing interest to Mr. Bush: how to run for president without pandering to the party’s conservative base. “I just said to him, ‘I think if you look back, despite the far right’s complaints, it is the centrist that wins the nomination,’” Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, said he told Mr. Bush.

The two issues most commonly mentioned as potential problems for Bush with the base: immigration and Common Core. Bush has argued for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and has also supported the Common Core educational standards — stances the GOP base vehemently opposes.

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