In the Trump era, Republicans can learn a thing or two from the decline of mainline Protestants

When having the money and the power just isn't enough...

Republican hopefuls
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Jeb Bush is suffering from the soft bigotry of high expectations. A former two-term governor of Florida, Bush has the most money of anyone in the presidential race, an admirable résumé, solid support among the Republican establishment, a reputation as the "smart Bush son," and dynastic name recognition. It is all the more embarrassing, then, that a boorish real estate mogul is eating his lunch in the polls.

Bush isn't alone. Jeb is trailing Donald Trump by double digits in RealClearPolitics' average of national polls, but in the first poll since the first official GOP debate last Thursday, from NBC News, he doesn't even make the top five. At 7 percent support among Republican primary voters, Bush trails not just Trump (23 percent), but also Sen. Ted Cruz, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, and Sen. Marco Rubio.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.