Former President Bush's younger brother: A potential candidate for the White House

If Jeb Bush really wants to follow in his father and brother's footsteps to the White House, many insiders believe the former Florida governor would immediately take the lead among his Republican rivals.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush at the 2012 Republican National Convention

Rumors have been swirling for the past week that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will run for President in 2016. Both of his children have hinted at this and said the family is ready.

“If he gets in, he'll be an instant front-runner,” said former Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele.

It appears major Republican donors are waiting for Mr. Jeb to make a decision before investing in any other potential candidates.

A frequent investor in Republican candidates has expressed support for Mr. Jeb and said he will reluctantly back him until he makes a choice. Other major investors are also staying out of the race until he makes a decision.

Without him, the Republican side would be dominated by a contest between lesser-known faces like Chris Christie of New Jersey, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz of the Tea Party Movement, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

That’s a reflection of the party as a whole, not just the donors, Mr. Steele said. He also said the business community has expressed a desire to support Mr. Jeb because of his experience and his gentle approach to issues.

Mr. Jeb's moderate views, mainly on education reform and immigration, will likely draw criticism from conservatives. However, Steele concludes that his support for education reform is a testament to his experience and ability to be a talented leader.

Foreign policy

Like other Republicans, Jeb Bush does not appreciate Obama's activities abroad. At an event on October 28, Jeb called Obama's foreign policy "a real disaster" because of its lack of guiding principles, especially when it comes to the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

On broader foreign policy doctrine, DefenseNews reported in April that former national security officials and political scientists say his views are closer to those of his realist father, George H.W. Bush, than those of his neoconservative brother, George W. Bush.

Tax

Jeb Bush is not a fan of tax increases. “As governor of Florida, Jeb delivered more than $19 billion in tax relief to families and businesses,” his spokeswoman said. “In that time, the federal reserve grew from $1.3 billion in 1998 to $9.8 billion in 2006. His record of tax cuts and strong fiscal discipline speaks for itself.”

Education

He has spent much of his post-governorship time focusing on education reform through the nonprofit education organization he chairs, which advocates for a reform agenda that includes school charters, performance-based funding, and “rigorous college standards like the Common Core State Scorecard.” The Common Core has drawn fierce criticism from observers who say it encroaches on federal authority.

Immigration

His biggest difference from the modern Republican Party is probably immigration. Specifically, according to PolitiFact, he said: “The long-standing debate about eventual citizenship for illegal immigrants must be resolved, rather than ignored…” Those were his words in 2012. However, in his recent book, he did not mention this issue.

According to Infonet