Just Jeb! Bush vows to be different to brother George as he unveils 2016 campaign logo
Former Florida governor trying to set himself apart from brother George by portraying a gentler approach while brandishing fiscal conservatism
John Ellis Bush, or just "Jeb!" as his new campaign slogan declares, was poised to launch his bid for the White House in Miami overnight - with an identity crisis to deal with.
Listen to rivals on the right, and voters might be forgiven for thinking this is George W Bush's softer, gentler brother: tolerant on immigration, interventionist on education and edging away from the family record on foreign policy.
"When people tell me he's too moderate, I laugh at them," said Van Poole, a former Republican state party chairman and Tallahassee lobbyist now helping raise funds for the Jeb campaign.
"All you have to do is look at what he did when he came in [as governor]."
Like his brother's "compassionate conservative" campaign in 2004, supporters argue this passion for small government is tempered by a belief that it can be a more effective way of helping the less fortunate in society.
"He is conservative, but Jeb has a big heart," Poole said.
Yet many liberals also point to a deep streak of social conservatism, one that only strengthens the argument that this Bush is a lot more right wing than his challengers in the Republican primary would have voters believe.
More recently, attention has focused on his role in state legislation that required mothers putting children up for adoption to list their sexual history in newspaper advertisements, and comments in a 1995 book that appear to argue that society needs to stigmatise the birth of children out of wedlock.
On issues such as climate change and gay marriage, where US public opinion has arguably shifted considerably to the left since the last Bush was in the White House, Jeb's opposition leaves him sounding more, not less, conservative than his older brother.
All this is in contrast to the narrative built up within the Republican primary fight in recent weeks, of a cautious and at times weak candidate.
First, Bush was simultaneously attacked, both by hawks such as Lindsey Graham and the less interventionist Rand Paul, for vacillating over his brother's war record: first defending and then distancing himself from the decision to invade Iraq.
Then whispers began to swirl of a campaign in trouble before it had even properly begun.
A reshuffle of senior advisers was interpreted as a sign that team Jeb was not aggressive enough in appealing to Republican activists. Reports also emerged claiming Jeb may fall short of raising an ambitious US$100m target in his first few months as business supporters wait to see if he really is the party's front runner.
Supporters dismiss such distractions, but as he prepared to make his formal entry into the race, the candidate himself acknowledged it was important to clear up any remaining ambiguity over what he stands for.
"This transition to a candidacy will allow me to be more direct about my advocacy of the leadership skills needed to fix a few things," Bush told CNN. "As a candidate, contrary to someone who is listening and learning, I'll also have alternatives to the path we're on, so I'll also have more specifics on policy."
Significantly, the launch of his campaign was previewed with a "pre-announcement video" entitled and a new logo that left off the family name in favour of just the three letter acronym Jeb and an exclamation mark.
"Jeb is different from George," added the younger Bush in his CNN interview. "My life story is different. I got to do it when I ran as governor … and telling that story is going to be part of this. I don't have to disassociate myself from my family, but I know that for to be successful, I am going to have to tell my story."
