Bush's 'Jeb Can Fix It' slogan draws mockery as Twitter is flooded with 'Bob The Builder' jokes

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In the annals of American political slogan-writing, no one has ever borrowed material from a British cartoon.

Jeb Bush can fix that.

And Twitter can mock him for inspiring memories of Bob the Builder's 'Can we fix it? Yes we can!' with his new 'Jeb can fix it' catch-phrase.

The former Florida governor relaunched his ailing presdiential campaign on Monday with a Tampa speech that climaxed with a litany of things he can 'fix' – just like Bob's friends Scoop, Muck, Dizzy and Roley.

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JEB CAN FIX IT: The new catch-phrase from former Gov. Bush of Florida immediately drew snarks online

CAN WE FIX IT? YES WE CAN! The stop-motion animated children's show Bob the Builder premiered in 1998

OUCH: The barbs came quickly once online trolls linked the new slogan with the 17-year-old cartoon theme song

'After seven years of incompetence, corruption and gridlock in Washington, we need a president who can fix it,' Bush told supporters on Monday.

'I can fix it.'

'After seven years of historic cuts to our military – a foreign policy based on leading from behind – the emboldening of our enemies, and the isolation of our allies, we need a president who fixes America’s standing abroad,' the speech continued. 

'I can fix it.'

'After seven years of massive deficits, historic debt, and a president who vetoes defense spending because he wants more reckless spending, we need a president who fixes our budgetary mess.'

'I can fix it,' Bush said again. 'I know I can fix it – because I’ve done it.'

Another thing he's done is inspired legions of Twitter users to pass around Bob the Builder's opening credits and theme song with short-form snickers.

'I blame Jeb Bush for putting the Bob the Builder theme song in my head this morning,' comic book author Jeremy Whitley tweeted. 'For this there can be no forgiveness.'

MOCKING: Some tweets cast Jeb's slogan as the stuff of Kindergarten while others invited him to fix their appliances

Denver native Brendan Loy issued a challenge: 'Whoever does a mashup of the "Bob the Builder" theme song with Jeb saying "Jeb Can Fix It" & Obama saying "Yes We Can" will win the Internet.'

Larry Wilmore's 'The Nightly Show' snarked that 'Jeb Can Fix It' is 'trying to steal Bob the Builder's shine.' 

And New York Post conservative columnist John Podhoretz delivered a stinging verdict. 'I don't want to pile on,' he tweeted, 'but "Jeb Can Fix It" may be literally the worst slogan I've ever heard.

Even if no one in Bush-land was thinking of the genial cartoon construction worker when the slogan was printed on signs and posters, a one-time Austin, Texas city council candidate says he had it first.

And he – not Jeb's campaign – reserved the 'jebcanfixit.com' Internet domain on Thursday.

'In 2014, I ran for Austin City Council with the slogan "Flannigan Can Fix It" and now Jeb Bush is trying to steal my slogan!' Democrat Jimmy Flannigan wrote on the new website.

 BOB VS JEB: HOW THEY COMPARE 

Full name: Bob the Builder 

Occupation: General contractor

Lives: Brought up in Bobsville, moved to Sunflower Valley, now lives in Fixham Harbour

Age: Mid 30s

Family business: Building houses. Son of Robert and grandson of Billy, both builders

Career: Started building houses as a teenager and now runs the family business

Romantic interest: Seems keen on his friend Wendy but unmarried. She runs the office side of the business

Favorite tools: Never seen without his pliers, screwdriver, wrench and hammers - which he carries on his utility belt

Good with technology? Often forgets to turn on his mobile phone, which is when things go wrong

Catchphrase: Can we fix it? Yes we can!

Friends say: Can he fix it? Yes he can!

Enemies say: Appears to have none

 

Full name: John Ellis Bush

Occupation: Presidential candidate

Lives: Born Midland, Texas, educated at New England boarding school, now lives in Miami, Florida

Age: 62

Family business: The presidency. Son of George H W, brother of George W, both presidents

Career: Banker then property developer who entered politics in mid-1980s and was two-term Florida governor 1999-2007

Romantic interest: Married to Columba since 1974. They met when he was an exchange student in Mexico

Favorite tools: Obsessed by technology and carried laptop then Blackberry everywhere as governor

Good with technology? Publishing a book of the tens of thousands of emails he personally sent as governor

Catchphrase: Jeb Can Fix It!

Friends say: Jeb!

Enemies say: Low energy (Donald Trump) 

HOME IMPROVEMENT TROLLING: Bush brought a torrent of mockery on himself by the time hsi speech on Monday was over

He lost his race to a Republican by 189 votes, but says he 'exceeded all expectations for an LGBT candidate in a conservative district.'

Most of the barbs pointed at Bush on Monday, however, came from Internet trolls.

YouTube comedian The Kid Mero wrote: 'YO #JebCanFixIt MY FRIDGE WATER IS A LITTLE SLOW, AND MY CLOSET DOOR IS OFF THE TRACK.'

Comedian Sean Kent jabbed that '"Jeb Can Fix It" sounds like a home improvement show starring a mentally challenged carpenter from rural Alabama.'

And ordinary people got in on the act.

'BREAKING! @JebBush quits #GOP race, signs deal with @hgtv for new reality show: #JebCanFixIt!' snarked one liberal blogger, complete with a mockup storyboard.

'Were “Jeb Is Allergic to Peanuts!” and “Jeb Says it’s Nap Time!” already taken?' asked Quinn Sutherland.

And a Texas named Jamie B tweeted that his 'favorite part' of the pile-on 'is that no one can decide whether to mock with pics of Wreck it Ralph, Bob the Builder, or Handy Manny.'