Jeb Bush 2016? Brother Of George W. Bush Could Run For President In Four Years

By Ryan Buxton

President Barack Obama hasn't even been sworn in for his second term yet, but curious political eyes are already looking ahead to what the presidential field may look like in 2016.

One name that is already dominating the conversation is one that's already sat in the Oval Office on two occasions - Bush.

Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, is reportedly mulling over his options and what a presidential campaign might look like for him. His place in a famous political family - he is the son of George H.W. Bush and brother of George W. Bush - gives him name recognition unmatched by most other potential candidates, especially among Republicans.

A New York Times story published on Thanksgiving day took a look at Bush's current place in a potential 2016 campaign and where his mind is regarding a possible run.

"Mr. Bush is said by friends to be weighing financial and family considerations - between so many years in office and the recession his wealth took a dip, they said, and he has been working hard to restore it - as well as the complicated place within the Republican Party of the Bush brand. Asked this week about whether his father would run, Jeb Bush Jr. told CNN, 'I certainly hope so,'" the Times reported.

Bush has an appealing profile that differs from Mitt Romney in several respects and that could pull in a large portion of the Latino vote that Romney desperately needed and failed to win. Bush, whose wife is Mexican, speaks Spanish fluently and supports immigration policy that allows people who came to the U.S. illegally but have otherwise abided by the law to seek a path to citizenship.

A new report from Politico asserted that a Jeb Bush versus Hillary Clinton contest could be incredibly likely in 2016. Republican strategist Alex Castellanos compared the Clinton and Bush political legacies to a well-known brand like Coca Cola.

"We love our brands - they offer certainty in a world spinning apart," Castellanos said. "The political equivalent of a brand is the dynasty, the Bushes or Clintons. And even if Coke produces New Coke, or Ford, an Edsel, now and then ... we remain loyal. We know and value what the brand stands for ... otherwise, we wouldn't want it rehabilitated."