The always outspoken matriarch of the Bush clan was pretty clear this morning when asked about the possibility that he son Jeb may run in 2016:
Former first lady Barbara Bush said her son George W. Bush should be the last in the family line of presidents, rejecting the idea of a White House run for her other son, Jeb Bush.
“There are other people out there that are very qualified and we’ve had enough Bushes,” she told TODAY’s Matt Lauer on Thursday from inside her son’s presidential library.
When asked whether she expects Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, to make a presidential run, Mrs. Bush said there are many worthy candidates.
“It’s a great country. There are a lot of great families and it’s not just four families,” she said.
“He’s the most qualified, but I don’t think he’ll run.”
To some degree, she has a point. From 1976 through 2004, there wasn’t a single Presidential election where we didn’t have a Bush, Clinton, or Dole on the ballot. Now we’re talking about the possibility of another Clinton and another Bush on the ballot in 2016. Dynastic politics like this is somewhat distasteful and, in the end, not entirely healthy for the political culture.
As for Jeb himself, I’d say that he’s still mulling it over but that it’s probably more likely he’ll run this time than it ever has been in the past. How the GOP will receive him if he does run? That will be interesting to watch.
