When Bushes run for president, they portray themselves as more caring, more gentle and more compassionate than their sometimes heartless and harshly ideological fellow Republicans. It worked for George H.W. Bush in 1988, it worked for George W. Bush in 2000, and now Jeb Bush is preparing to give it another go in 2016.

The youngest Bush, who is still officially “exploring” a White House run, is doing a slow rollout of themes for his candidacy. In an appearance at the Detroit Economic Club Wednesday, Bush tested a few ways to distance himself from Republicans who have stumbled on issues related to the poor and the government’s efforts to help them.