Peter Schorsch: Has Jeb Bush Gotten His Mojo Back?

For the past several weeks the mainstream press has reveled in pummeling the soft underbelly of the Bush non-campaign.

From a bad week on the trail when Jeb couldn’t provide a cogent response to the Iraq war question, to a host of new occupants pushing their way into the Republican presidential clown car, to an alleged “shake-up” on his staff that involved, let’s see, giving a guy from Iowa a different title in Jeb’s nascent organization, the press has been relentless in painting Jeb as a hapless rube who is riding the bad side of the Darwinian curve.

And yet, despite the foreshadowing of his demise, Jeb Bush has been consistently, and sometimes even powerfully, moving the ball down the field.

In the past two weeks he has managed to pull off what no other Republican candidate has accomplished: a trip to Europe where he effortlessly projected the competence of a seasoned American statesman. Jeb received solid reviews for his deft handling of foreign policy and his ability to build diplomatic bonds.

By contrast, when Chris Christie recently visited the United Kingdom – usually a layup for an American politician — he managed to turn it into a political disaster.   Eventually, Christie even refused to take questions from the press. Scott Walker did little better while in Europe, comparing Wisconsin union protesters to ISIS and lamely concluding that he wouldn’t answer question about foreign policy on foreign soil.

And then there was the official announcement this week.

Jeb’s organization shrewdly packed a college gymnasium with thousands of rabid Jebophiles, many of whom were Latinos armed with Bush logoed thundersticks.  (Contrast this to the 800 or so people that showed up for the Marco announcement.)

The excitement and enthusiasm were palpable, and what we saw was perhaps the first glimpse ever of how a dominant and resurgent Republican Party could look in the decade ahead.

One sensed that if Jeb Bush is elected president that historians will look back on that frenzied rally as a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Grand Old Party, and at center stage was the man who dared to reimagine the party in a new and compellingly inclusive way.

The Jeb Bush announcement was shockingly different than any other presidential announcement ever, and Jeb looked perfectly comfortable in the frenetic and diverse environment.

And now, the announcement tour rolls on with Jeb popping up in the usual (Hannity) and less expected (Fallon) venues. He seems to be in full command of his capacities, taking all questions and fulfilling his promise to ‘joyfully’ campaign.

This week the White Lebron will swing through the early primary states, shaking thousands of hands and selling himself at the retail level.

Are these conclusive signs that Jeb is on the comeback trail?

No.

For starters, the pundit-fueled descriptions of his earlier missteps were overblown. There’s not really a systemic failure from which he needs to come back. But, the data points over the last few weeks point in a strongly positive direction.

What we are seeing is Jeb unchained, a more seasoned and liberated version of the guy we remember as our very successful governor, now free to act like a real candidate and clearly comfortable in his own skin.

This is the Jeb who, if he continues to take risks and amass a mountain of campaign contributions, can become our next president.

Peter Schorsch is a new media publisher and political consultant based in St. Petersburg, Fla. Column courtesy of Context Florida.