Jeb Bush Passes Test At Conservative Jamboree

For Jeb Bush the signs at the Conservative Political Action Conference were initially worrying.

There were jeers and boos at the mention of his name and rumours of a walkout planned for his speech by tea party activists.

Speaking at CPAC 2015 in Maryland was unavoidable if he wanted to be taken seriously, but not without jeopardy.

He may have twice been Republican governor of Florida, but he is no darling of the hard right of his party.

His stance on social issues means many conservatives do not trust him.

To them he's a "squishy moderate" because of his positions on immigration and education.

He looked nervous as he appeared on stage. Organisers had sent reinforcements.

Fox News host Sean Hannity was on hand to steward the governor on stage, but their question-and-answer session seemed at first halting and over rehearsed.

The Bush campaign had reportedly bussed in supporters, a sign of its organisation and preparedness, but the crowd still seemed unsure.

As he began to speak the yellow flag of the tea party was hoisted by an activist in revolutionary-era attire.

But few flocked to the banner as the protester marched out of the hall leading a small but noisy protest.

"We don't have a nobility in this country," the activist told Sky News outside the hall.

"We don't want any more Bushes we don't want any more Clintons."

"We left King George years ago," said a woman. "We don't need a family dynasty. And plus he has no business being at a conservative gathering. Period."

Inside, though, Jeb Bush was entering his stride, and the crowd was warming to him.

He tackled questions on immigration head-on, offering a robust defence of his position.

He criticised his party for being good only at opposing things, bad at "being for things".

He seemed well prepared and informed.

Most of all he had conviction, an all-too-rare quality in US politics.

"He was composed. He was up to the moment," raved the Washington Post. "He looked, in a word, presidential."

CPAC shouldn't be confused with US party conventions, which like their British party conference counterparts are choreographed and sterilised of controversy.

It has always been a brash, fractious affair, more than happy to embarrass even the most prestigious of guests.

Speaking here was Jeb's first big test and he seems to have walked it.

And in the background his machine is raising tens of millions of dollars.

A few miles up the Potomac, Hillary Clinton, still the only likely Democrat contender in 2016, will have been watching.

And she may have just started getting nervous.