Ben Lowry: Sad to see Jeb Bush sink

I am depressed at the impending collapse of Jeb Bush's candidacy for the White House.
Marco Rubio, left, and Jeb Bush (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)Marco Rubio, left, and Jeb Bush (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Marco Rubio, left, and Jeb Bush (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

It seems to me that in these turbulent times western nations need sensible, moderate conservative leaders – people who reject the left-wing naievte of Jeremy Corbyn types, but who also spurn hardcore right wing populism and silliness. In the modern US Republican Party, moderation is in short supply.

Jeb struck that balance. He was the only leading Republican contender openly to criticise that buffoon Donald Trump.

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He is multi-lingual and thoughtful and has experience running government.

It seems that Marco Rubio is going to be the party’s compromise candidate. He is vastly preferable to Ted Cruz, and obviously better than Trump.

But Jeb would have been better still. He has, I believe, been badly damaged by the Bush brand, specifically his older brother George W.

I met Dubya in 2000 in New Hampshire (a primary he lost to John McCain). On a personal level he seemed agreeable enough. But his main goal in life had been to be a baseball team owner. I believe that any leader of the free world should, since childhood, have had loftier ambitions.

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Sadly for us all, the more mature (but younger) Bush sibling will never be commander-in-chief.