--- title: 'Republican Obama': Jeb Bush Hits Marco Rubio in Pitch description: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign took aim at Sen. Marco Rubio in a pitch to donors that characterized him as a "Republican Obama." canonical: https://time.com/4087492/jeb-bush-marco-rubio-gop-obama/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-26T18:00:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:42:26.715Z article:section: Politics og:title: Bush Campaign Targets Rubio as 'Republican Obama' og:description: Rubio and Obama "have strikingly similar profiles," it told donors. og:url: https://time.com/4087492/jeb-bush-marco-rubio-gop-obama/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt79d4a8e955590327/698869e33c1639f3a945a669/jeb-bush-marco-rubio.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Jeb Bush attend Mitt Romney victory campaign Rally at Bank United Center on October 31, 2012 in Miami, Florida. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bush Campaign Targets Rubio as 'Republican Obama' twitter:description: Rubio and Obama "have strikingly similar profiles," it told donors. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt79d4a8e955590327/698869e33c1639f3a945a669/jeb-bush-marco-rubio.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Bush Campaign Targets Rubio as 'GOP Obama' to Donors > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=e1147e31-c3f1-4674-86e9-aaedb951ef9d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: See Jeb Bush's Political Career Through the Years [Watch (HLS stream): See Jeb Bush's Political Career Through the Years](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3nRIB78f.m3u8) (2:37)  _Published 2015-06-12. From his unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 1994 through his decision to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, here are some of the top moments from Jeb Bush's political career._ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Oct 26, 2015 6:00 PM UTC  Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Jeb Bush attend Mitt Romney victory campaign Rally at Bank United Center on October 31, 2012 in Miami, Florida. Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Jeb Bush attend Mitt Romney victory campaign Rally at Bank United Center on October 31, 2012 in Miami, Florida. Vallery Jean—FilmMagic by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Oct 26, 2015 6:00 PM UTC If there was ever any doubt, there isn’t anymore. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sees the campaign of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as the major obstacle between himself and the White House, and he’s willing to take the fight to his former protégé. Bush’s top advisors delivered a presentation to assuage concerns about the campaign’s tumultuous three months at a summit for the campaign’s top donors in Houston Monday, delivering an optimistic look at the path ahead, and a sharp blow to a top rival. With a PowerPoint slide-deck as a guide, campaign manager Danny Diaz, senior advisor Sally Bradshaw, communications director Tim Miller, and other aides went through the campaign’s finances and strategic plan for the roughly 150 donors present. The presentation identified Rubio as Bush’s top competition, repeatedly contrasting their effort to Rubio’s, noting cash flow, field organization and endorsements. But its most pointed critique was of Rubio’s qualifications for office, coming just weeks after Bush himself said Rubio didn’t have a track record of accomplishment. “We need to offer a contrast to the current President. Hillary will pitch competence and experience. Marco is a GOP Obama,” the presentation stated in a preview of a possible general election match-up next November. “Rubio and President Obama have strikingly similar profiles,” it continues, “first-term senators, lawyers and university lecturers, served in part-time state legislatures for eight years, had few legislative accomplishments, and haven’t shown much interest in the process of advancing legislation and getting results.” The aides argued that in a match-up against Clinton, Bush would win according to a September Quinnipiac University poll, and win a higher percentage of the Hispanic vote than Rubio. Another slide, titled “those closest to Marco choose Jeb,” notes that Bush has cleaned up among Florida lawmaker endorsements, while Rubio has struggled to win over support. ### See Jeb Bush's Life in Photos  George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, Jan. 1, 1955. Sygma/Corbis  From left to right: Doro, Marvin, Neil, and Jeb Bush, fall 1963. George Bush Presidential Library  From left to right: Doro, George, Jeb, Marvin, George W., Neil, and Barbara Bush, 1966. George Bush Presidential Library  Jeb Bush (center) was the varsity tennis team captain during his senior year at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., 1971. Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library  George Bush and his four sons, Neil, Jeb, George W. and Marvin in 1970. Bob E. Daemmrich—Sygma/Corbis  Jeb and Columba Bush on their wedding day, Feb. 23, 1974. George Bush Presidential Library  Jeb Bush loudly applauds his father, Republican presidential hopeful George Bush, at a campaign rally in Concord, N.H. on Feb. 28, 1980. Frank Lorenzo—Bettmann/Corbis  Vice President George Bush holds a fish with his sons George W. and Jeb during a family vacation in Kennebunkport, Maine in Aug. 1983. Cynthia Johnson—Getty Images  From left to right (without children): Neil and Sharon Bush, George W. Bush and wife Laura, Barbara and George Bush, Margaret and Marvin, Bobby Koch and Dorothy, Jeb and Columba, are seen in this Bush family photo taken in Kennebunkport, Maine on Aug. 24, 1986. Dave Valdez—White House/Sygma/Corbis  Jeb Bush plays cards with his son while riding in a recreational vehicle, Nov. 8, 1993. Christopher Little—Corbis  Jeb Bush is interviewed at a Miami Radio Station, WIOD, Mar. 1980\. He went on to become Governor of Florida in 1999. Tim Chapman—Getty Images  George W. Bush and Jeb Bush at the Republican Governors' Convention in New Orleans, 1998. Nina Berman—SIPA  Texas governor George W. Bush celebrates good news with his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush, while watching the presidential election returns, prior to being elected as President of the United States, inside the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Nov. 7, 2000. Brooks Kraft—Sygma/Corbis  Republican governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, studies his laptop watching vote returns for his reelection his wife Columba Bush and his parents, former President George Bush and first lady Barbara Bush in Miami on Nov. 5, 2002. Joe Burbank—Orlando Sentinel/MCT/Getty Images  Republican nominee for President, Mitt Romney, campaigns around Florida with Governor Jeb Bush, left, Senator Marco Rubio, right, and Congressman Connie Mack, left back of head, in Coral Gables, Fla. on Oct., 31, 2012. Melina Mara—The Washington Post/Getty Images  Jeb Bush speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME Bush and his super PAC have spent vastly more than his GOP rivals on television, but he has yet to be able to move the needle. The Bush aides argued that the electorate remains volatile and that the campaign’s focus on fundamentals like data analysis and organizing will pay off in the end. The pro-Bush effort also has the most television inventory reserved for the coming months on the GOP side. The meeting comes at a pivotal time for Bush, days after he announced a massive reshuffling of his campaign organization, as well as a 40 percent cut to campaign payroll. Later Monday, the donors will hear Bush and his brother, former President George W. Bush, participate in a joint discussion. **Read Next:** [_Jeb Bush Talks to TIME about Being a Joyful Grinder_](http://time.com/4075248/jeb-bush-republican-campaign-joy/) ## Transcript The younger Bush brother did not make the governor's chair in Florida. The older Bush brother, George W. Bush, did make it in Texas. This is a mixed night for the Bush family. I know we can do better. It requires a new style of leadership, commitment to service to others, and an ability to bring people together rather than divide I wanna be the governor that leads us there. And in Florida, Jeb Bush, 56 to 44 over Buddy MacKay, the Democratic candidate. My brother said in one of his speeches, my brother said he's gonna deliver Florida. [ LAUGH ] He did say That he said it more than once. Will he deliver it? He also told it was going to be a cold Thanksgiving dinner if I don't help him out, and then we're going to carry it. We could be in for a long night as voters decide whether Vice President Al Gore or Texas Governor George Bush will be the next president of the United States. It is that close. ABC News is now going to project that Florida goes to Mr. Bush. While the closest elections in American history Bush has won it. The rigor of the common core state standards must be the new minimum in classrooms. And so for those states that are choosing a path other than common core I say this. You should be aiming even higher. And be bolder and raise standards and ask more for our students and the system. The simple fact is there is no plan to deport 11 Million people. We should give them a path to legal status. Where they work, where they don't receive government benefits, where they don't break the law, where they learn English, and where they make a contribution to our society. Knowing what we know now, would you have authorized the invasion? I would of and so would of Hillary Clinton. Just to remind everybody and so would of almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got. By the way guess who thinks that those mistakes took place as well. George W. Bush. Your brother. Yeah. I mean so just for the news flash to the world that they're trying to find places that there's big space between me and my brother, this might not be one of those. I'm running for president in 2016, and the focus is going to be about how we, if I run, how do you create high sustained economic growth where more people have a chance at our success. I don't know if I'd be a good candidate or a bad one. Kinda know how a Republican can win, whether it's me or somebody else. And it has to be much more uplifting, much more positive, much more willing to be practical now in the Washington world. Lose the primary to win the general. Without violating your principles, it's not an easy task. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4087492/jeb-bush-marco-rubio-gop-obama/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4087492/jeb-bush-marco-rubio-gop-obama/"},"headline":"Bush Campaign Targets Rubio as 'GOP Obama' to Donors","datePublished":"2015-10-26T18:00:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:42:26.715Z","description":"'Rubio and President Obama have strikingly similar profiles'","url":"https://time.com/4087492/jeb-bush-marco-rubio-gop-obama/","keywords":["jeb bush","2016 Election","Sen. 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