Jeb Bush for president? Jeb Bush, Jr. hopes dad will run for White House

(CNN) -- Jeb Bush, Jr., the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, said Tuesday morning he "certainly" wants his dad to run for president.

Asked on CNN's "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien" if he wants to see his father make a White House bid, Bush said, "I don't know. No comment. I certainly hope so."

"Giving you the full loaf of bread right there," he continued, smiling.

Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, flirted with a presidential bid last year, but declined to run. With high popularity in the Hispanic community--his wife is from Mexico and he speaks Spanish--his name has resurfaced as a strong contender in 2016, now that many in the party say the GOP needs to better connect with Latinos.

"We really have to work on our ground game, have to work on our messaging," Jeb Bush, Jr. said Tuesday.

He pointed to his uncle, former President George W. Bush, as an example of someone who "showed that you can be successful with Hispanics and be Republican."

"He showed up in Hispanic communities. He spoke a little Spanish," he continued. "I think that candidness really came across well. (Sen. John) McCain and Gov. Romney didn't do a good job, but I think in 2016 we'll hopefully have a candidate that certainly focuses on that."

He also weighed in on Sen. Marco Rubio's controversial comments about the age of the earth, which Rubio argued was one of "the great mysteries" on Monday.

"It was a strange question and I guess kind of a head-scratching type of answer," he said. "We've got to be a pro-science and pro-technology party. I think Marco Rubio is just that. But we also can't forget about our traditional values."

Rubio has repeatedly said he considers Jeb Bush, Sr., to be his close friend and mentor.

Meanwhile, Jeb Bush, Jr.'s brother, George P. Bush, has taken steps to run for a statewide office in Texas.

 
™ & © 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.