Jeb! Bush claims that “I hated” being the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary, back before people got a good look at him as a candidate, and “I feel much better back here.” The “here” in “back here” is fifth in the polls, by the way.
It might not be ludicrous for a politician to claim, with a straight face, that being a scrappy underdog trying to fight his way up from a low-polling start is a fun position to be in. Or maybe even that it’s less stressful to be in second place than in first, since when you’re in first you have more to lose than to gain. But fifth? Please.
Jeb! attempted to explain, showing along the way why his standing has fallen so much:
"Well I've always thought that there was going to be a high expectation for me. And I totally get it," Bush continued. "Because I have a brother that was president and a father that was president. And that higher expectation was important to realize. And so being the front runner made me feel like the other guys just dancing right through this. I have to go earn it. I have higher expectations on me than people have on me."
“And so being the front runner made me feel like the other guys just dancing right through this. I have to go earn it.” Does that make more sense to anyone else than it does to me? If nothing else, that word salad is a solid reminder that Jeb is indeed a Bush, but he’s a lot less convincing about being happier in fifth place than at the top.