Jeb Bush, and the most preposterous phrase in politics

Please don't tell us you're going to change Washington

Jeb Bush
(Image credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

The days of breathless anticipation are over, and Jeb Bush — or, as his new logo would have it, "Jeb!" — has finally become a real live candidate. And while there were many interesting things about his announcement speech, there was one part, both maddening and predictable, that's worthy of attention. Like so many candidates before him, Bush proclaimed that he is the man to clean up Washington and end all its dysfunction because he is an outsider, not tainted by the capital's corrupt ways.

Why do politicians keep serving us this particular helping of balderdash, and why do we believe them? Bush could barely be more wrong on both parts of this message: He's no outsider, and more importantly, no outsider could do what they always tell us they'll do. Even insiders may not be able to. Here's an excerpt of what Bush had to say:

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.