Is the end nigh for Jeb Bush’s hopes of becoming president? His campaign slogan is certainly making a mockery of the younger Bush’s attempt to conquer the Oval Office.  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:

Never has an exclamation point had to work so hard. His brand could undoubtedly benefit from a bit of ‘oomph’ but if you’re going to style your campaign as if it’s a Broadway musical you at least need to attempt to live up to the hype, bring something to the table. A jaunty hat? A catchphrase? A loveable sidekick, perhaps? Alas, Bush figured he could get by on his political record and warm, fatherly demeanour. Oh Jeb, honey, the Republicans are out for blood this year, you never stood a chance. I’m not even convinced he deserves the capitalised ‘J’, his lacklustre presence on the debate stage suggests it should be whispered – let’s hear it for *jeb* 2016. Blink and you’ll miss him. Or fall asleep.

And yet it didn’t have to be this way. Jeb comes across as the most intelligent of the Bush clan (granted, this is about as impressive as being the sanest person at a Trump rally) and he is not exactly unlikable. Although he has been forced to fend off criticisms based on his brother’s administration, these digs have been nothing compared to the onslaught of accusations aimed at Hillary Clinton, and yet she is the only one of the predicted frontrunners living up to expectation. Of the two political dynasties at least the Bush family’s faults seem to be brazenly out in the open, whereas there is an uneasy sense that the Clintons may have more than a few skeletons left in the closet, liable to creep out and wreak havoc before November 2016.

Jeb has valid selling points that he has not emphasised enough. In the early stages of the campaign the conservative Hispanic vote was arguably his for the taking. Bush was governor of the racially diverse state of Florida, his wife is Mexican and he speaks fluent Spanish. He should be exploiting these facts (a little tacky, sure, but that’s politics) to take issue with Donald Trump’s blatant racism when it comes to immigration policy. It also provides Bush with a golden opportunity to alleviate the demographic crisis plaguing the Republican Party. Perhaps he is playing it cool, lying in wait for the perfect timing. But with the candidate field already so crowded, Jeb needed to come out swinging from the off, exclamation point in full force.

With Marco Rubio’s popularity on the rise and the Carson/Trump rivalry dominating media coverage, Bush’s campaign is having to work extra hard to sustain momentum. In terms of Jeb’s presidential aspirations, tonight’s debate will be do or die. Exclamation point.

Header image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr