Jeb Bush’s new campaign logo represents a clear effort to distance himself from the Hispanic community

Hillary Clinton’s campaign logo received a lot of attention (much of it negative) when first released,* and pundits have continued to dissect it in the two months since. And now, design critics finally have something else to talk about. Today, another contender for the presidential throne revealed his own icon [click or see above].

Pundits argued that the emblem represents “an attempt by Bush to distance himself from his famous family name” slash dynasty:

“The most important thing about the Jeb logo isn’t the exclamation point that is there,” wrote David Frum, a former speechwriter for ex-president George W. Bush. “It’s the last name that isn’t there.”

But I think the focus on Jeb burning “Bush” has distracted from another, equally-important conscious uncoupling. Jeb has famously been feted as potentially the very first Hispanic President of the United States. And that appellation is not without reasonable basis.

But amidst the allegations leveled against Rachel Dolezal, Bush’s campaign appears to have finally decided the illusory association could be more harm than help, and taken steps to repudiate his title. Indeed, had Bush been serious about continuing to represent the Hispanic community, his logo would have surely looked more like:

So the most important thing about the Jeb logo isn’t the exclamation point that is there; it’s the exclamation point that isn’t there.

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*I still think my design was better.