JEB'S CRISIS – AT 8:47 A.M. ET:   And it's very real.  He can't seem to gain traction in the polls, and he's proved to be an uninspiring candidate.  A recent outburst reveals a deeply frustrated man, who's living in the shadow of a father and brother, both of whom made it to the presidency.  From Byron York at the Washington Examiner: 

"I just cringed," said one member of Jeb Bush's extended circle of advisers when asked his reaction to Bush's recent mini-tantrum on the state of the Republican presidential race. "Every politician, at some point, and sometimes justifiably, is pissed off at the voters. But you can't display your frustration with the public."

That's what Bush did, thrusting into public view the deep frustration that has been building as his once-mighty campaign slipped behind not only Donald Trump but other GOP rivals as well.

"If this election is about how we're going to fight to get nothing done, then I don't want to have any part of it," Bush told a Republican gathering in South Carolina Saturday. "I've got a lot of really cool things I could do other than sit around and be miserable, listening to people demonize me and feeling compelled to demonize me. That is a joke. Elect Trump if you want that."

The short version: I don't need this. The other guy's a clown, but if that's what you want, vote for him. I've got better things to do.

It's probably an understatement to say voters don't like such talk. "It's a non-winning message," said the adviser.

COMMENT:  There's a lot of political buzz to the effect that the Bush campaign is completely retooling, but it may be too late.  His name is Bush.  He's not a newcomer.  He just hasn't made an impression, and it's really too bad.  He was a fine, thoughtful governor of Florida.

The fact that Ben Carson has overtaken Trump in a new national poll (see post below) should teach Bush that it can be done.   The message Jeb is sending out, though, signals capitulation, not victory, and Americans love winners.

October 27, 2015