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CONWAY, S.C. — You’ve heard the one about the frog in boiling water, right?

You know, the old amphibian metaphor — intended to show that humans are sometimes unable to react well to gradual threats — about how a frog placed in boiling water will jump out, but a frog placed in cold water that is slowly heated will stay put and boil to death.

Yes, well.

Jeb Bush was trying to summon that very example in response to a voter question here on Tuesday about the proposal by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Democratic candidate for president, to provide free tuition at public colleges and universities.

“This is a great question, I’m glad you brought it up,” Mr. Bush began. “Because this notion that earned success in life, that the government can just take care of us, if we keep taking steps down that path, we’re in danger. And it’s insidious, because you don’t see it until it’s over. That’s the problem with this.”

Then, Mr. Bush went for the frog metaphor. And that’s where the problem for him began.

“It’s like the crabs in the, you know, whatever —the crabs in the boiling water,” Mr. Bush tried.

“Frogs,” an audience member shouted out, helpfully.

“The frogs,” Mr. Bush continued. “You think it’s warm, and it feels pretty good and then it feels like you’re in a whirlpool—you know, a Jacuzzi or something.”

He concluded with a morbid twist: “And then you’re dead. That’s how this works.”