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8 Ways Jeb Bush & Gob Bluth Are The Same

by Kendyl Kearly

I couldn't stop seeing it once it hit me. In the middle of a political discussion about Jeb Bush, it became achingly clear that I talk about the presidential candidate with the same tone that I discuss a certain main character from a Netflix series. All the similarities started filling my brain, and I half-expected to hear that Bush was a fan of amateur magic tricks and puppets. It all came with three little letters: G.O.B. Clearly, Jeb Bush and Gob Bluth from Arrested Development are one and the same.

This political and entertainment crossover is too obvious to ignore. The comparisons are so pointed that I have to wonder whether the creators of Arrested Development had a specific man in mind when they wrote the character of Will Arnett's Gob Bluth. However, when the show first aired in 2003, a Bush was president, keeping Gob — I mean, Jeb! — out of the spotlight for a while.

Bush launched his campaign in June and has been a front-runner in the Republican race for the White House, according to polls. His marketing team has probably shied away from Gob comparisons because the arrogant older brother to Jason Bateman's character Michael is not really the kind of person you want running the United States. Need a little more than just that hairline to convince you? Here are eight of the biggest ways Jeb and Gob are the same person.

The Initials

Jeb is actually John Ellis Bush and Gob is George Oscar Bluth. This might be the most obvious way these two are similar, but it's still a little spooky.

The Family Legacy

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Both Jeb and Gob have a family legacy to live up to. For Jeb, it's politics. For Gob, the family business. Let's hope Jeb won't sink the family yacht.

The Superior Brother

Gob always falls under the shadow of Michael and is always seeking his respect and approval. It has to be the same for Jeb. He had to watch his older brother become president.

The Disapproving Father

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It's hard to say who would be a more intimidating father: George H.W. Bush or George Bluth. Both became president (one of a country and the other of a company) and looked to the better brother to succeed him. Both Georges seem like masterminds over the whole family operation.

The Housing Scandal

Both companies had a housing scandal that bordered on what's moral and what's evil. The Bluth Company worked with Saddam Hussein to build houses in Iraq. A Miami company that Bush once consulted for allegedly embezzled money after claiming to rebuild houses in the wake of the Haiti earthquake disaster.

Iraqi Problems

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Speaking of Hussein, both families have a very negative history concerning Iraq. It's still unclear whether Bush will be able to move past his brother's Iraq War.

The Bully Complex

Gob loves pushing people around and feeling superior. Although we're unlikely to see Jeb have a furious outburst, he was apparently a bit of a bully in high school. He once even sewed closed the pajama bottoms of a younger student.

He Wants To Be President

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Jeb and Gob both want to be president. One will engage in any ridiculous behavior to win the role that might make his father proud. The other is a character in a television show.

Images: Getty Images (5); Giphy.com (4)