According to Jeb Bush’s son George P. Bush, Jeb Bush is looking into running for president in the 2016 presidential election. 

Jeb has yet to come out to deny these claims. If you are saying to yourself, “that last name sounds familiar,” well it is because we have already had two other Bush family members in office. Jeb’s father, former President George H. W. Bush Sr., was president from 1989-1993. Then of course Jeb’s older brother, former President George W. Bush, who we are more familiar with, was in office from 2000-2008. Like our past presidents, Jeb does have prior political experience, as he is the former governor of Florida. It seems like the whole family is involved in politics, and since two Bushes have already made it to the White House, you have to wonder if Jeb has a chance. If he and Hillary Clinton decide to run, it would be the most historic election since President Obama became president.

The Bushes are not the only political family dynasty. As I mentioned before, Hillary Clinton might be running, and we all know her famous husband, former President Bill Clinton. 

Let’s not forget that other big political family: the Kennedys. There was a time when the Kennedys practically ruled the America, and they still do in a way. We do not have a royal family here, but if we did, the Kennedys would take that spot. Probably the most famous Kennedy is President John F. Kennedy, who was in office from 1961-1963 until his assassination.

Before the Kennedys there were the Roosevelts. 

But it does raise a concern for me. We tend to look at families as a whole and not by the individual. I have to wonder if people would look at the family more or how the person running for office actually qualifies. Of course a lot of people do research on candidates, but some people might be more likely to vote for the candidate if he or she came from a prominent political family. 

Thirty years from now, would you vote for Malia Obama just because her father is the current president, even if the only experience with the government she had by that time was growing up in the White House? I have to admit being a fan of Bill Clinton makes me lean to Hillary Clinton more. Being married to the president has probably given her insight on how to run a country, right? But does it become a problem when the only reason we are voting for a candidates is the last name they have? 

Or perhaps it’s not even a real issue. America has had large political families in the past in addition to some people who are the first of their family to get into politics. Whichever candidate you choose to vote for research is key in making a clear decision, but I do not think the last name should make a difference in your vote.