When the word first began to leak out that Jeb Bush was considering a run for the nation’s top political office, naysayers wondered about the possibility of Bush fatigue.” And while maybe after seeing his father and brother in the White House, American voters might be ready for a change…but there are many other reasons why Jeb Bush is a strong candidate and the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination.
Amongst them is the fact that Hillary Clinton is also a front-runner. See, while name recognition can hurt you at times, when that name comes with loyalty from top political donors, that “hurt” stings a lot less. And Bush has done more than generate loyalty, he has systematically enticed a money funnel that other potential GOP candidates may not be able to match. In fact, the “Bush Money Machine” is equaled in politics by only one other fundraising juggernaut—the Clintons.
We all know money wins elections the lion’s share of the time. Money can buy name recognition, media attention, face time with likely voters and more opportunities to get one’s message out and press the flesh. Given that information, it should unnerve any other GOP presidential hopefuls to know that Bush had already raised untold millions before he ever officially declared his candidacy.
Well, he still hasn’t, but Bush’s appeal is so strong, even after popular Texas Senator Ted Cruz declared, he is still perceived as a back-up to a Bush nomination.
Why is that? It’s important to understand that many of the big money sponsors, including Wall Street power brokers, love establishment candidates with proven credentials. Bush was the two-term governor of a large and diverse state—Florida—and he has strong pull among groups the GOP lost in the last two elections, particularly Hispanic voters.
There’s no doubt that some Money Men will wait to see if Bush’s competitors, such as Mike Pence or Scott Walker, can create a momentum moment, but even if they do, the attitude is that they would be “stealing” support Bush already presumably has garnered.
Ronn Torossian is the CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR Agency based in New York City.
