THE GREAT RED HOPE:

JEB'S DRY RUN: As Jeb Bush plunges into a frenzy of fall travel for Senate candidates, his allies insist a presidential campaign is becoming more of a possibility than even they thought a few months ago. He's doing a lot of under-the-radar prep, including foreign policy tutoring and meetings with tech gurus. And several of his friends think he is leaning more yes than no. The more opaque his plans, the greater the clamor - a "Greta Garbo strategy" that has amped up demand for the former Florida governor.

Jeb Bush is headed to the hot Senate races in North Carolina and Kansas, and made numerous summer trips to raise money for the RNC, and Senate and gubernatorial candidates - with stops in Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, South Carolina, Kentucky and elsewhere. Friends say he does this every cycle - it's just getting more attention now.

A twist in how the former govenor is raising money that has gotten a ton a buzz among campaign insiders: Besides traveling to key midterm states, Jeb has headlined several fundraisers where the candidate COMES TO FLORIDA, where Jeb knows everyone. That means that the proceeds are all NEW MONEY for the guest, and the candidate gets to meet new supporters and build his or her own network.

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