Gov. Bush & his mystical buddy "Warrior Chang"

Here are Bush's words, spoken before hundreds of lawmakers and politicians:
''Chang is a mystical warrior. Chang is somebody who believes in conservative principles, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism, believes in moral values that underpin a free society.
''I rely on Chang with great regularity in my public life. He has been by my side and sometimes I let him down. But Chang, this mystical warrior, has never let me down.''
Bush then unsheathed a golden sword and gave it to Rubio as a gift.
''I'm going to bestow to you the sword of a great conservative warrior,'' he said, as the crowd roared.
The crowd, however, could be excused for not understanding Bush's enigmatic foray into the realm of Eastern mysticism.
We're here to help.
In a 1989 Washington Post article on the politics of tennis, former President George Bush was quoted as threatening to ''unleash Chang'' as a means of intimidating other players.
The saying was apparently quite popular with Gov. Bush's father, and referred to a legendary warrior named Chang who was called upon to settle political disputes in Chinese dynasties of yore.
The phrase has evolved, under Gov. Jeb Bush's use, to mean the need to fix conflicts or disagreements over an issue. Faced with a stalemate, the governor apparently "unleashes Chang" as a rhetorical device, signaling it's time to stop arguing and start agreeing.
[Thanks, Kathy]

BTW, a quick Googling finds no refernce to a warrior Chang legend, much less one who hews so closely to neoconservative ideology. It should be noted, though, that "chang" is a Chinese word for "chaos" -- a concept the neocons have exploited to great profit. Alas, this Chang character seems to be a recent political invention -- another fiction of convenience for the powerful even if it makes them sound absolutely bonkers. -- McLir

Other possible origins of "Chang" as Jeb Bush's imaginary friend:
- 1927 film "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness" IMDB Plot summary: "Elephants disrupt the lives of a family deep in the jungles of Northern Siam, and an entire village."
- A street name for cocaine
- There was a General Chang Tso-Lin who was in control of Manchruia 9early 20th Century, not dynastic). Maybe that is to whom Candidate Jeb is referring.