--- title: Barbara Bush: Jeb Bush Is 'Too Polite' description: Barbara Bush, who has been speaking out for her son as he campaigns for president in New Hampshire, said she thinks he is "too polite" canonical: https://time.com/4209300/jeb-bush-barbara-new-hampshire-primary/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-05T15:15:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:56.992Z article:section: Politics og:title: Barbara Bush Says Jeb Is 'Too Polite' og:description: "Why don't you interrupt like the other people do?" og:url: https://time.com/4209300/jeb-bush-barbara-new-hampshire-primary/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt30719bd40d1a23b0/69887c51a988caf6806b6739/barbara-bush-jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: barbara-bush-jeb-bush og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Barbara Bush Says Jeb Is 'Too Polite' twitter:description: "Why don't you interrupt like the other people do?" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt30719bd40d1a23b0/69887c51a988caf6806b6739/barbara-bush-jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Barbara Bush Says Jeb Is 'Too Polite' > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: 2016 FOX GOP DEBATE: Bush Wants to Repeal Obama’s Rules [Watch (HLS stream): 2016 FOX GOP DEBATE: Bush Wants to Repeal Obama’s Rules](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/92CebQl0.m3u8) (0:34)  _Published 2015-11-11. Watch: Jeb Bush on Growth_  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Feb 5, 2016 3:15 PM UTC  Barbara Bush introduces son Jeb at a town hall in Derry, N.H. on Feb. 4. Barbara Bush introduces son Jeb at a town hall in Derry, N.H. on Feb. 4.Charles Ommanney—The Washington Post/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Feb 5, 2016 3:15 PM UTC Barbara Bush, who has been [speaking out for her son](http://time.com/4189831/jeb-bush-barbara-ad/) as he campaigns for President in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday’s primary, said she thinks Jeb Bush is “[too polite](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/elections-2016-jeb-bush-barbara-bush-new-hampshire/).” “He’s almost too polite,” she said during an [interview with CBS](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/elections-2016-jeb-bush-barbara-bush-new-hampshire/) on Thursday. “I don’t advise him, but if I gave him advice: I would say, ‘Why don’t you interrupt like the other people do?'” Barbara Bush, who also described her son as dependable and “relatively funny,” clarified that she thinks he should interrupt more during the Republican debates, which have often been [dominated by Donald Trump](http://time.com/4197580/republican-debate-donald-trump-iowa/). “I’ve gotten better at interrupting, mom, come on,” Jeb Bush said in response. **Read Next:** [Barbara Bush Cuts Ad for Jeb](http://time.com/4189831/jeb-bush-barbara-ad/) “He’s so polite. We brought him up that way,” Barbara Bush said. “And he does not brag like some people we know.” Asked if she thinks anyone running for president is bragging too much, Barbara Bush declined to name any names. “I’m not getting into a spitting match with him. He can spit further than I can,” she said. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4209300/jeb-bush-barbara-new-hampshire-primary/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4209300/jeb-bush-barbara-new-hampshire-primary/"},"headline":"Barbara Bush Says Jeb Is 'Too Polite'","datePublished":"2016-02-05T15:15:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:41:56.992Z","description":"\"Why don't you interrupt like the other people do?\"","url":"https://time.com/4209300/jeb-bush-barbara-new-hampshire-primary/","keywords":["jeb bush","2016 Election"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt30719bd40d1a23b0/69887c51a988caf6806b6739/barbara-bush-jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt30719bd40d1a23b0/69887c51a988caf6806b6739/barbara-bush-jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"barbara-bush-jeb-bush","caption":"DERRY, NH - FEBRUARY 4: Republican presidential candidate Governor Jeb Bush is introduced by his mother Barbara Bush before holding a town hall meeting at West Running Brook Middle School in Derry, New Hampshire on February 4, 2016. 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