Ok so the 2012 election is done. So who are the front runners for the 2016 election. I imagine that Christie is the front runner for the Republican moderate wing (unless they are extinct by 2016). On the Republican Tea Party wing, After the 2012 election loss I imagine Ryan will retire from politics and star a marathon running career where he will become the first man to run a marathon under 1 hour. So the far right wing-nut candidate search will be wide open to challenge Christie before they get crushed by the C-pacs trucks loads of money backing Christie . On the Democratic side, many candidates from the actual left wing side of the party will emerge once Hillary decides not to run again because she needs to keep a close eye on Bill. They will create much excitement among the Big Soccer crowd that finally the democratic party will actually select a left wing candidate to bring them to the promise land of high taxes and large government spending. Only to be crushed when another Wall Street moderate ends up wining the nomination. Regardless of who wins the Democratic elections they will immediately start their presidential campaign by running against George W Bush for the 5th consecutive time and the Republican candidate will be referred to as Bush 4 to avoid confusion. I will also assume that the budget is not balanced, the Debt is over 20 Trillion, but unemployment is below 6 percent and the economy is growing slowly but steady. Well until the next "whatever" bubble burst. The Syrian civil war is still going, there is no peace in the middle east and the Chicago FIRE are 3 time MLS champions, 3 time US Open cup champions and 2 time CCL Champions. Or After a popular revolt the time comes for the great Grimes rise to power, he dismisses the Congress and cancels all elections. In that case mods please rename the thread to "4th anniversary; A review of the great accomplishments of our dear leader, ALL HAIL GRIMES!"
Republicans nominate Jeb, who has changed his legal name to just "Jeb", but Dems insist on calling him "Bush."
I can see Paul Ryan, Chris Christie and Rick Santorum running in 2016. Inquisitor Santorum has no chance, but he did well enough in the primaries to delude himself into trying again. Christie is likable and moderate enough to get the nod. Huntsman may, or may not switch party affiliation. This probably depends on the climate of the GOP.
GOP Field: Chris Christie Jeb Bush Marco Rubio Rand Paul Herman Cain Rick Scott Bobby Jindal Christie wins the nomination by being the biggest bully. Picks SC governor Nikki Haley as his running mate. Dem Field: Hillary Clinton Andrew Cuomo Deval Patrick Martin O'Malley I don't think Joe's gonna run. Hillary will win the nomination by saying her last name a bunch of times, and pick Huntsman (!!!), Sherrod Brown or Patrick as her running-mate.
I don't follow Florida state politics that closely, but isn't Scott extremely unpopular in his own state right now? EDIT: Of course, that didn't stop Rick Santorum or Mitt Romney. So...never mind.
Yes to both. I think Scott has zero chance - especially if Jeb runs - but from everything I've read/seen, he has no real understanding of just how unpopular he actually is. What I'm really interested in is this: What are the chances that Huntsman or Crist shows up on the Democratic ticket in 4 years? Right now I'd say about 20% - not huge, but you can't really write it off, especially if the GOP continues its rightward tack.
Well they have no GOP future, but I don't see turncoats doing well either. Specter? I say neither of them have a chance at anything.
If I were a DNC strategist, and there are many good reasons why I'm not, I'd be working to make a [insert charismatic liberal name here]/Crist ticket happen. Oh, and this is probably looking ahead to 2020, but should Julian Castro and Cory Booker think about running for statewide offices? I MEAN THEY KILLED THE POOR GUY!
If Jeb runs, the nomination will be his by acclamation. If Hillary runs, ditto. If that happens, we'd have a really unique year...an open presidency but with both parties having their nominations wrapped up before the Iowa caucus. We'd have a year, literally, of Bush v. Clinton.
Powell is not welcome in the Republican Party now that they've proven he got us into that scuffle in Iraq. Maybe he runs on the other side?
I think that there's still plenty of "anyone but Hillary" sentiment out there... plus she'd be 69 at election making her second term pretty elderly. So I think an alternative would be sought,and a live primary campaign required. Personally I could see a Christie/Cuomo race as entertaining...
If that clam runs, I will harvest every screed of energy making sure she doesn't get too far. Whilst working for SC DNR, she cut the endangered species programs to the bone ( I had to write my own proposal to a fed grant to work as a state employee), siphoned the money that was supposed to go to us to God knows where, and flouted Endangered Species Act multiple times. If she wins on the national level I will strangle her with her own Fallopian tubes.
I don't buy a Hillary nomination by acclamation, simply for the reason that it's what folks were saying in 2008, and we saw how that turned out. I also don't buy it because as a lifelong Democrat, I rely on what my fellow Democrat Will Rogers said when he said that he didn't belong to any organized party, that he was a Democrat. Also, I think we've seen the last of the Baby Boom in presidential politics with Mitt Romney.
Hillary would have to fall down and start drooling not to be nominated in 2016. If that's what she wants. Last time she was unlucky enough to face Neo. This time she will not, and in fact Neo will be an enthusiastic supporter.
I'm not at all convinced that Hillary Clinton wants to run in 2016. It's anecdotal but I find it interesting -- I've ended up talking about Hillary Clinton's 2016 prospects with a handful of 60 and 70-something women in the last few months. And they all say the same thing. She could run, but she shouldn't, and none of them think she will. Every single one of them also talk about grandchildren as a reason not to run.
The Onion speculates: http://www.theonion.com/video/after-obama-victory-shrieking-whitehot-sphere-of-p,30284/