Do Political Views Run In The Family? Not Always

At this point, we know Jeb Bush comes from a political dynasty and we know he is in fact running for president — but do we know what to expect from him? As it turns out, his famous family members might not provide all the clues. When it comes to issues like education reform and illegal immigration, these Jeb Bush quotes show he and the Georges, both H.W. and W., don't necessarily agree on everything in politics.

This separation from his family's legacy could be exactly what Jeb is going for. His campaign logo "Jeb!" does not bear his last name, a decision that seems ultra-strategic given the importance of name recognition in a campaign (and the vast recognition that comes with his last name, in particular). What's more, neither of the Georges attended Jeb's long-awaited announcement Monday at Miami-Dade College. The former Florida governor only mentioned the legacy once in his speech, and jokingly at that.

And in this country of ours, the most improbable things can happen. Take that from a guy who met his first president on the day he was born, and his second on the day he was brought home from the hospital.

Apparently, not even a lifetime with those two presidents could make them all agree with each other on everything.

1. Jeb: "Choice Rewards Success And Weeds Out Stagnation, Inefficiency, And Failure. This Is Why School Choice Is Critical To The Education Reform Movement."

George W.: "Local Schools Remain Under Local Control."

As president, George W. was known for enacting No Child Left Behind (aka the reason you had to take so many standardized tests in middle and high school). The law focused on standardized testing and gauging students' progress within the existing public school system. Jeb, on the other hand, prefers to emphasize school choice, or the ability of parents to send their children to a private or charter school. As governor of Florida, Jeb launched a scholarship program to make it easier for some families to afford charter and private schools. Those students did better as a result, and the competition caused nearby public schools to up their game as well.

2. Jeb: "Our Prosperity And Our Security Are In The Balance. So Is Opportunity, In This Nation Where Every Life Matters And Everyone Has The Right To Rise."

George H.W.: "If Family Planning Is Anything, It Is A Public Health Matter."

In one of the first sentences of his announcement speech, Jeb implies that he is pro-life. His dad, however, might not agree. As a congressman, Papa Bush supported Title X, the only federal grant program dedicated to family planning. He only began to voice pro-life opinions when he ran for vice president under Ronald Reagan and later president, reportedly so he could better appease an increasingly pro-life conservative voting bloc.

3. Jeb: "The Simple Fact Is, There Is No Plan To Deport 11 Million People."

George W.: "We Must Ensure That Every Illegal Immigrant We Catch Crossing Our Southern Border Is Returned Home."

Jeb might not have a plan to deport undocumented immigrants, but his big brother dedicated an entire speech to such a plan in 2006. Jeb favors a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, which puts him not only on the opposite side of Dubya's administration, but also on the opposite side of many conservatives in the game today. Fortunately for Jeb, most Americans tend to support a path to citizenship.

4. Jeb: "I Think In Washington During My Brother's Time, Republicans Spent Too Much Money. ... He Could Have Brought Budget Discipline To Washington, D.C."

Jeb made this comment in May when talking to a New Hampshire resident at a sports bar. Jeb has also said given current intelligence — that there were no weapons of mass destruction — he wouldn't have invaded Iraq in 2003 like his brother infamously chose to do. (After all, hindsight is always 20/20, right?)

5. Jeb: "If You Could Bring Me To A Majority Of People To Say That We're Going To Have $10 In Spending Cuts For $1 Of Revenue Enhancement — Put Me In, Coach."

George H.W.: "Read My Lips: No New Taxes."

In 2012, Jeb made conservatives pretty mad when he suggested that he would support some tax hikes if they led to proportionally significant spending cuts. In 1988, Jeb's father made conservatives pretty happy when he pledged to institute no new taxes as he accepted the Republican party nomination. This one might not count, though, because H.W. ultimately did have to raise taxes during his presidency.

Throughout his campaign, Jeb will likely face repeated comparisons to his father and brother. With another Bush-Clinton race potentially on the horizon, history might just repeat itself in 2016. If Jeb wins the election, though, these quotes suggest that repeating history might not be his thing.

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