Trump probably isn't a pawn for Jeb but rather an opportunist who sees a lot of Americans who don't want the Bush's to begin their dynasty and a lot more who find Clinton untrustworthy. He has somehow built himself up as a genius businessman, despite the fact that he has ridden the fortune left by his father into bankruptcy and holds onto his fortune and status as a "dealmaker" because of a shitty reality TV show. He plans on using that and shouting himself red about how we should treat China and Russia as enemies and how he will sit down with them and out negotiate them into giving up their status as a superpower to win him the nomination. He backs his idiocy with the typical political cocktail of "I bring jobs and will kick out the smelly foreigners who bang your daughter and wife bang while you are out at the bar."

Jeb probably feels he can use his families name to pick up points in the polls as he knows American's like and vote for the familiar. He is probably also hoping to be backed by his father's friend's superPACs and is also hoping that his connections with the large media corporations can crucify his opponents enough to give him the republican nomination. He probably thinks that enough republicans see him as sort of a reverse Obama compared to Hilary, the lesser of two evils enough so that they use a sick day or wake up early enough to vote.

Rand Paul is running the same platform he always has of the "I am for states rights unless its for gross things like trannies or gays or abortions then it is definitely something that I have voted down as a senator because I don't like it for my constituents."

Clinton is yet again running as the woman candidate. She has more experience and even has a lost election to guide her current campaign. She is banking on woman liking having birth control and the option of abortion should it be required as well as democrats, liberals and some left leaning independents to vote for her as a lesser of two evils between her and Jeb or Trump. She is also hoping to ride on the fact that she was secretary of state which gives her experience and she will definitely have her husband campaign with her so she can get some of the goodwill many still feel towards him.

Sanders is running backed by his impeccable voting record as a long standing senator. He is running based on the hope that the people who are tired of typical politicians will win him the democratic nomination and is backing that up by sticking to his own platform rather than falling back on attack ads. I am biased towards Bernie so much more than I am against the other candidates that anything more I say will be nothing but fanboyism.

Fyi you misused platitudes.