Considering this history, it ought to be obvious what’s coming down the pike. Marco Rubio may be Jeb’s friend and mentee, but he had the temerity to challenge Bush. The one-term senator will pay for it by being defined in Bush’s spots as a not ready for prime-time Republican Obama. Scott Walker should expect an assault on several grounds: no experience in foreign policy (though Bush himself has only been a state governor) and manager of an economy that doesn’t measure up to Florida’s under Bush. Rand Paul’s face will dissolve into Neville Chamberlain’s. Ted Cruz and Chris Christie have already provided the film footage to be depicted as ranting, unstable men whose fingers should be nowhere near the nuclear button. Mike Huckabee will be a tax-raising populist, with a Dukakis-like tendency to let dangerous criminals out early. John Kasich is going to get pegged as an Obamacare lover. And Donald Trump? Well, the imagination runs wild.

In reality, Bush won’t bother to launch most of these attacks because it will be clear most of his opponents can’t prevail. However, any GOP candidates high in the polls later this year should spend some money to construct a bomb shelter.

Naturally, all the top Republican contenders will air attack ads, many of which will be unsavory. But with by far the largest war chest, Bush will almost certainly sponsor the most. He’ll leave the pitiless parts to his surrogates and super PAC, where official ignorance of all muggings is legally required. And like his father and brother before him, he’ll attempt to eliminate his rivals with a gentlemanly smile and gracious wave.