Jeb Bush, Man Related to 2 Former Presidents, Says He's No Political Insider

Jeb Bush wants you to know that he’s different from all those political insiders. He’s just a guy whose father and brother happen to be two former presidents of the United States but, come on—that doesn’t mean anything.

Bush’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination is struggling right now; he trails far behind Donald Trump and Ben Carson. His team is constantly looking for new ways to make him relatable (questionable chest-bumping) or exciting (Jeb Can Fix It!). According to USA Today, this week’s approach is “I’m just like you!”

“Thirty-two years in the private sector — eight years as governor,” Bush told USA TODAY in an interview Wednesday. “Never worked in Washington, D.C. — never lived in Washington, D.C.”

That storyline sounds a bit far-fetched from a former two-term governor of Florida, whose father and brother both campaigned for him in the southern state. Jeb’s past also includes the pretty political hanging chad recount controversy of the 2000 presidential election, when his big brother ran against Al Gore. But according to Jeb, “the past is prologue.” You know?

“I have to overcome it by saying what my life story is about, and my record of accomplishment,” he said. “I’m going to fight hard to make sure I’m the nominee.”

For someone who began this race as a shoo-in thanks to his family’s long legacy in the Republican party, Bush is pushing hard to assert that nepotism isn’t what got him on the campaign trail. And if we’ve learned anything from this dog-and-pony show, it’s that his name alone won’t keep him there either.