Jeb Bush: His Own Man or Another Chip Off the Family Block?

Jeb Bush (Credit: Gage Skidmore, licensed under Creative Commons)

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In his continuing buildup for a possible presidential run, Jeb Bush used a major foreign policy speech Wednesday in Chicago to emphasize his own political identity over that of his family’s White House legacy, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

In an early copy of his speech before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs luncheon given to the Tribune, Bush said he realizes people will compare and contrast his views to those of the former Bush presidents, but he wants voters to let his ideas and actions stand on their own:

“I love my father and my brother. I admire their service to the nation and the difficult decisions they had to make. But I am my own man—and my views are shaped by my own thinking and own experiences.”

>>Check out the Chicago Tribune story for more about Jeb Bush’s Chicago speech

How successful do you think Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor, has been in creating a separate political identity apart from his dad’s and brother’s? What more does he have to do to distinguish himself? Do you think his famous family members were hurt or help him at the polls?

Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.