Jeb Bush is Like a Candidate from 2004

Think about 2004. I know. It was a while ago. But if you were thinking about litigating whether the start of the Iraq War made sense and how it was being managed and really, really, were concerned about whether traditional marriage was being protected--I think 2004 was the year for you. And that is where Jeb Bush is. Stuck in his brother's last election cycle like some kind of iteration of the movie Groundhog Day, except, unlike Bill Murray's character, Jeb Bush has not learned how to move forward. He's learned how to be really good--at being in 2004.

I don't really want to go over the past, very bad week, where Jeb Bush was trying to figure out how to respond to the simple question "Would you have gone into Iraq just as GWB had done?" I think there is some confusion about how people are viewing the responses he has given. The intelligence is besides the point. It was for his brother--why wouldn't it be for him? George Tenet got his medal for the slam-dunk case. (And so did Bremer, and so did Franks for their foul ups.) President George Bush acted on the intelligence he politically needed. He went into Iraq before the UN inspectors at the time wrapped up what they wanted to. I don't know how many people in hindsight don't find that at least dubious--

But brother Jeb wants to pretend he thinks it is totally kosher. Ay me! Like nothing was ever worked out since 2004.

But also, Florida's former Governor would like to inform you that traditional marriage is the way out of poverty and gay marriage has no constitutional basis.

Eh? I am not sure how backing traditional marriage will be a good policy. Millenials aren't really into it.  And they have reasons like being dead broke and gunshy about whether there is any point to getting married, anyway. (Many of them have divorced parents, themselves.) How would government get into ye olde matchmaking bidness, anyway? I'm thinking--nah. That's pretty much a "Big Government" program even I couldn't endorse. And for what it's worth, the LGBT folks who might like to get married are denied where Jeb is concerned--maybe he sees where marriage is a net good--but somehow doesn't think two same-sex people can accomplish the same thing as two opposite sex people? That is crazy heteronormative.  I almost feel like he was freeze-dried and missed Judge Vaughn Walker regarding Prop 8's hearing and probably still thinks Regnerus is a valid study.  

He's such old news. I'm not saying Scott Walker and Marco Rubio are such better news, but Bush is straight outta 2004.