Bush Unmushed

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Jeb Bush going into Wednesday’s debate on CNN needed to turn around his lackluster showing from the Fox debate. After falling to third in the polls to fellow “low-energy” candidate Ben Carson (according to front-runner Donald Trump), Jeb Bush needed to reignite a worried Republican establishment base that has begun to turn away from Bush.

CNN moderators gave Bush many opportunities to speak. Bush failed to take full advantage of these opportunities. However, Bush did have a relatively strong showing. Bush boarded on with the rest of the debate in attacks on Trump. With an attack on Trump’s past involvement in politics as a big donor, Bush mounted one of the only attacks on Trump’s stream of inaccuracies. Bush confronted Trump about his attempts to create a casino in Florida during Bush’s tenure as governor, Trump’s comments about his wife and brother, and even Trump’s attack on the Spanish language. This was the exact step that Bush needed to take, to stand up to Trump before it becomes too late for him and the rest of the Republican party. Bush’s confrontation on Trump will vault him back into public emphasis.

Bush had a strong emphasis on practical policy. He demonstrated the true moderatism that the establishment base has been looking for from Bush. His ability to respond to all questions and confrontations with real and tangible policy proposal made Bush seem strong and “presidential,” something he lacked in the last debate. This may not translate into immediate support, but later in the race, when the field clears up and voters make their final decisions, Bush stands to gain.

Overall this debate could become a big push for Bush in the coming months. Add this to his record breaking war chest, he could regain his former lead in the polls. But then again, that’s up to the American voters to decide.