Given the mood of the electorate, anyone named Bush would have a tough time winning votes in the 2016 GOP primary. A good share of primary voters share my view that W was a decent and honest guy, but horribly wrong about most everything. His presidency caused so much damage to the nation we may never live to see it repaired.

That does not mean he cannot win. The elites love the Bush family. They are reliable on the important issues. The reason the Cult went bonkers over W was they saw him as a class traitor. His overt Christianity was horrifying just as it would be to fanatical Muslims. W represented the triumph of the wrong sort of white people, even if was merely symbolic.

Anyway, in order for Jeb to become president, he needs some things to happen. One is he needs the GOP field to be splintered. If conservatives of different stripes find a single guy they like enough to back, Bush is doomed. He needs every faction to be married to their guy until the money runs dry. Bush will have all the money he needs to run in the early contests so he can outlast everyone.

Seeing Huckabee jump in and now maybe Santorum has to make the Bush Klan smile.

Rick Santorum has invited former aides to Washington next week for a “private briefing” on his plans for a possible 2016 presidential bid.

The “Personal Invitation from Senator Santorum,” provided to CNN by a Republican who received it, was sent by a Santorum aide to more than two dozen “friends and former colleagues” from past campaigns and his time in the U.S. House and Senate.

“As you probably know, RJS is seriously considering a run for the White House in 2016,” Santorum adviser Matt Beynon wrote in the email, using Santorum’s initials.

“With the midterms and the new year behind us, he is beginning the final stages of preparation and consideration of another campaign,” Beynon wrote.

Santorum, he wrote, “would like to give you a personal update on his plans” at a “private briefing” on Jan. 13 at the offices of the American Continental Group, a lobbying and public affairs office in Washington.

Among the Santorum alumni invited to the session are a number of top lobbyists and political strategists who once worked for the former congressman and senator from Pennsylvania, including former George W. Bush spokesman Tony Fratto and former Republican National Committee finance director Rob Bickhart.

It’s important to understand that this is not a strategy session. Santorum is feeling these guys out to learn what the other guys are doing. He’s also signalling to Jeb his interests. Everyone assumes it is the GOP’s turn in 2016 so there will be a lot of jobs to be had in the next administration for Republicans. Santorum may be willing to run as a straw to sink Huckabee in Iowa, as long as the Bush people will help him out down the road.

This is looking a lot like 2000 to me. Everyone knew the Democrats would run Al Gore as the sober, more liberal Bill Clinton. When W started raising money in 1998 it became clear he was the establishment’s guy. George Schultz had recruited him and all the party big shots fell in line. By the time the campaign season started, everyone knew the game was rigged. Only McCain decided to challenge W, but he had no chance.

This time it is the open borders wing of the establishment recruiting a Bush to lead them in the GOP primary. They are deeply worried about what’s happening with the voters. The defeat of Eric Cantor was the shot heard around the Beltway. It’s why they have been pushing the House GOP to sign off on the ObamAmnesty. If they can make that stick, Jeb Bush can go around the voters to implement their agenda.