Jeb Bush has joined the growing list of former Republican candidates who have bid farewell to the 2016 presidential election. The former Florida governor’s departure from the race follows a disappointing performance in three state primaries, including South Carolina this past Saturday, BBC News reports.
Some are calling the end of Mr. Bush’s campaign for presidency the end of an era. In an in-depth analysis of the shortcomings of Mr. Bush’s campaign, The New York Times equates everything from his campaign administration to his policy platform as relics of a bygone era in American politics. His failure to account for the evolution of the American voter’s point of view is what ultimately derailed his campaign and left him in the dust of the election.
The 2016 presidential race has continued to defy the traditional election structure in many ways initiated by the 2012 race. Lengthy political resumes and super PAC-backed campaigns no longer suffice to assure candidates’ popularity and relevancy in voters’ eyes. A reserved and stoic disposition now alienates voters, while animated and passionate candidates (See: Trump and Bernie) win respect time and time again. Perhaps most notably, voters now look to presidential candidates who are redefining the constructs of age, experience, and minority status to help lead the country to do the same.
The platform upon which Mr. Bush built his campaign was optimized for needs and norms of the early 2000s voter. Even in a party rooted deeply in tradition, this outdated perspective translates to irrelevancy in voters’ eyes. The Republican race now rests in the hands of candidates Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, and John Kasich.