But they were all so frustrated that Jeb didn't get to run, and they had spent so much of the family fortune trying to make it happen, W couldn't bring himself to it.
Bad timing. At one point Jeb was the more likely Presidential candidate than W. Jeb had not had the same legal and business scrapes W had. They both ran for FL's Governor (FL & TX) in 1994 Jeb hoped after 6 years as Florida's Governor he'd be a shoo-in for President.
But while W won in Texas, Florida's Democrats pulled a dirty trick that caused Jeb to lose his 1st try at Governor. Democrats called over a half a million old people the night before the election and told them Jeb would cancel their Social Security. Of course, it was a lie. No Governor could end a federal program. But enough of seniors believed it, and the calls coming just the night before there was no time to correct it, that Lawton Chiles(D) eked out a razor thin victory.
So all of a sudden W was in a better position to run against Gore. This time the Democrats failed with their dirty tricks in the Florida vote counts & recounts. They haven't been the same in this state since. In the meantime Jeb won his 2nd try at Governor in 1998 and won a 2nd term in 2002 as he watched his brother serve as Prez. 2016 was finally to be HIS year, but just at that moment DJT rode down the escalator with more than a pocket full of campaign money. Jeb's primary run went no where. Lots of Bush fatigue and he was no longer the loudest voice. But he will always be the one who could have had it all if not for Democrats' dishonesty.