Let me finish with the strange, weird, desperate behavior of Jeb Bush.
Look, the reason people initially took him seriously as a candidate, the reason people have looked to him over the years as a future hope, is the assumption that he’s smarter than his brother, that he’s a lot more like his father.
Now, just to kill all that, Jeb’s saying things that are less an assurance than a warning: he’s saying that he’s like his brother on Mideast policy generally and specifically like him on Iraq.
WATCH MORE: Bush brothers in arms
He’s saying that, even given all he knows now, he would have invaded that country, bringing our country into a bloody war of conquest, a dozen years of disgusting, unsuccessful occupation, and only adding to a legacy of death and hatred between us and the Arab world.
Why’d he do it? Why’d he say he’d do it all over again, this Iraq War three-quarters of the American people say was not worth it — and that’s putting it lightly!
Five prospects:
- He made a mistake.
- He wanted to make sure there’s not a sliver of distance between he and his brother.
- He wants to line up with all the other Republican hawks now in the field — all except Rand Paul.
- He wants to make up for being for immigration and common core.
- He wants the money, the huge money out there awaiting any Republican presidential candidate who will pledge his soul to right-wing Mideast policies, who will say “everything’s on the table” when asked about Iran and salute the all-encompassing greatness of Bibi Netanyahu with the same snap and gusto as he assaults the policies and abilities of President Obama.
Whatever motive Jeb had for offering up his political soul to the right-wingers and hawks of his party, it certainly doesn’t set him apart. And setting himself apart is the one way most of us can imagine Jeb Brush winning this thing.
Chris Matthews