But clearly Bush wouldn’t have run in the first place unless he thought this problem were surmountable. So what is he thinking? I’ve been able to pick up the following from Bush World.

Bush’s team believes that ultimately, once the campaign starts going and candidates are out on the trail, voters will judge them based on individual merits. Bush plans to lay out his vision for the country and a lot of policy proposals, and if voters find this more compelling than what’s being offered by other candidates, according to this view, voters will overlook his last name.

This thinking could be seen in some of Bush’s early public appearances. For instance, at CPAC last month, he explained that should he formally run, “I have to show what’s in my heart. I have to show that I care about people, about their future. It can’t be about the past, can’t be about my mom or dad or brother. It has to be about the ideas that I believe in to move our country forward so that we can have high, sustained economic growth where more people have a chance at earned success.”