It’s always interesting to know which Republican is the preferred presidential candidate among left-of-center pundits looking to bolster the Democrats’ chances in the next election. In former Newsweek editor and current TIME columnist Jon Meacham‘s case, the answer might be Jeb Bush.

In one sense, the speculation about Jeb is based on a myth that doesn’t really hold up: that Jeb was the Bush son who was supposed to be President. The Bush saga runs like this: For decades Jeb was the studious son who might one day be presidential material. George W. was the cutup. My own view is that the contrast between Jeb’s virtues and George W.’s vices is exaggerated. Wasps to the core, Bushes don’t sit down and talk about dynastic roles, much less assign them. They’re more likely to discuss sports or tell mildly off-color jokes.

Those who think “Bush fatigue” is pre-emptively fatal to Jeb’s chances may be underestimating the American affinity for brand names. The Bushes aren’t kings; in managementspeak, they’re a line of related products that most Americans recognize and have chosen on three (1988, 2000 and 2004) of the four occasions they’ve been on offer. Will we have a chance to buy another? George W., whose approval ratings are rising as the years pass, has said he’d like his brother to try for it.