The Bush Family Checklist
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks to the media after being named chairman of the National Constitution Center's Board of Trustees Dec. 6 in Philadelphia. William Thomas Cain/Getty Images hide caption
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks to the media after being named chairman of the National Constitution Center's Board of Trustees Dec. 6 in Philadelphia.
William Thomas Cain/Getty ImagesAnd the Bushes just keep on coming.
In recent memory, there was George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States. Then there was George W. Bush, 43rd president. And now there's John Ellis "Jeb" Bush, who may want to become the 45th president.
Jeb is sending mixed signals: Tonight he is a keynote speaker at a Conservative Political Action Conference dinner, but he has asked that his name be removed from CPAC's 2016 presidential straw poll.
Does Jeb have what it takes to be the next president of the United States?
Similarities with his presidential father and presidential brother are noteworthy. All three of these Bushes grew up with the base, the backing and the burden of a prominent family. Success in life was more or less presumed for these men, and intense competitiveness was a given.
Despite their various differences, all three Bushes have: supported lower taxes on business, personal income and investment income; sought lighter regulatory burdens on business; been aggressive on national security issues and supported the Pentagon and its priorities.
So is there some sort of How to Be President checklist somewhere in the Bush house — pasted on the refrigerator or tacked on the mudroom door? Probably not. But if there were, it might look like this:
| George H.W. | George W. | Jeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pose With Flag |  |
 |
 |
| Phillips Academy Alum | 1942 | 1964 | 1971 |
| Famous Political Dad | Prescott | George H.W. | George H.W. |
| Marry Someone Whose Name Ends With "a" |  Barbara |
 Laura |
 Columba |
| Suffer Near Career-Ending Political Defeat | Lost Texas Senate race in 1970 | Lost Texas Congressional race in 1978 | Lost Florida governor race in 1994 |
| Get Help From James Baker | To become Ronald Reagan's vice-president | As overseer of 2000 Florida recount | To land job at Texas Commerce Bank |
| Make Fortune | As a Texas oil man | As managing partner of Texas Rangers | As partner in Florida real estate firm |
| Be Sporty |  |
 |
 |
| Name Child For Family Member | George W. | Barbara | George P. |
| Write A Book | A World Transformed | Decision Points | Immigration Wars |
| Be President | 1989-1993 | 2001-2009 | ????-???? |