16 for '16: The Most Talked-About Potential GOP Presidential Candidates

[240 is Back]

Perry is like Obama in that he is great at reading a teleprompter and horrible at thinking on his feet.  Unless he had a personality and brain transplant, he will do exactly what he did in 2012:  lose. 

You should read more conservative sources - back in Dec 2011, Redstate was calling Perry very likable
http://www.redstate.com/diary/griffinelection/2011/12/08/perry-the-only-candidate-that-can-beat-obama/
Maybe the NYTimes disagrees, but I agree with redstate that Perry is a good looking, folksy guy, "one of us" with great hair.  He's bush all over again.

And he's like obama?   This dude obama you speak of... he is awfully good at, um, winning elections.   Romney was 10x smarter and more qualified for office, but because he was not LIKABLE, he lost badly to a prez polling terribly.

I think perry would have beaten obama.

[Dos Equis]

You should read more conservative sources - back in Dec 2011, Redstate was calling Perry very likable
http://www.redstate.com/diary/griffinelection/2011/12/08/perry-the-only-candidate-that-can-beat-obama/
Maybe the NYTimes disagrees, but I agree with redstate that Perry is a good looking, folksy guy, "one of us" with great hair.  He's bush all over again.

And he's like obama?   This dude obama you speak of... he is awfully good at, um, winning elections.   Romney was 10x smarter and more qualified for office, but because he was not LIKABLE, he lost badly to a prez polling terribly.

I think perry would have beaten obama.

This is about as coherent and accurate as Perry during the 2012 debates. 

[240 is Back]

This is about as coherent and accurate as Perry during the 2012 debates. 

Perry was leading the GOP primary race by 10 points, at one point in the race.   The GOP voter base is a bright, informed bunch that wouldn't just put some idiot clown ten points ahead of everyone else.

[Dos Equis]

Perry was leading the GOP primary race by 10 points, at one point in the race.   The GOP voter base is a bright, informed bunch that wouldn't just put some idiot clown ten points ahead of everyone else.

Whatever Perry had he lost as soon as he opened his mouth.  I didn't know anything about him until I watched a speech, which was outstanding.  Then looked at his record as governor, which was good.  Then he started talking.  The rest is history.  

[Dos Equis]

Definitely sounds like he's running again. 

Backers: Romney more open to 2016 run
He has sounded unimpressed with the emerging GOP field, associates say.
By BEN WHITE and MAGGIE HABERMAN 12/11/14

For most of the past year, Mitt Romney supporters have publicly said he should consider running again. And for most of the past year, Romney has seemed uninterested.

Until recently.

While some people close to Romney insist he hasn’t moved from saying he has no plans to run, the 2012 Republican nominee has sounded at least open to the idea in recent conversations, according to more than a dozen people who’ve spoken with him in the last month.

In his private musings, Romney has sounded less than upbeat about most of the potential candidates in the 2016 Republican field, according to the people who’ve spoken with him, all of whom asked for anonymity in order to speak freely.

He has assessed various people’s strengths and weaknesses dispassionately, wearing what one ally called his “consultant cap” to measure the field. He has said, among other things, that Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, would run into problems because of his business dealings, his work with the investment banks Lehman Brothers and Barclays, and his private equity investments.

“You saw what they did to me with Bain [Capital],” he has said, referring to the devastating attacks that his Republican rivals and President Obama’s team launched against him for his time in private equity, according to three sources familiar with the line. “What do you think they’ll do to [Bush] over Barclays?”

Romney did not respond to a request for comment left with his son’s firm, Solemere Capital, where the former Massachusetts governor serves as an adviser. Spencer Zwick, finance chair of Romney’s 2012 campaign chairman and now a senior executive at Solamere, declined to comment on any discussions Romney may have had with investors or anyone else about 2016.

“I’d very much like him to run and think he would make a great president and a lot of people who supported him in 2012 and even those who did not support him want him to run,” Zwick said. “That doesn’t mean he will run.”

For most of the past year, even Republicans who admire Romney have believed the chatter about him possibly running for president has been mostly sparked by his former staffers or people involved with Solemere, seeing it as a boon for business.

Romney’s new tone in discussions with people behind closed doors came as Bush has seemed to move closer toward a run. A number of donors and operatives who had assumed Bush would take a pass now believe he is likely to enter the race.

People close to Romney stressed that he has deep respect for Bush.

(Also on POLITICO: Pence ally to head Club for Growth)

“He thinks Gov. Bush was a good governor,” said one source close to Romney, who added that the former Massachusetts governor has still maintained he has no plans to run. However, the source added, there is a “growing chorus” of people who would like to see him do it again.

“There’s a core group of people around Mitt who think he should take another stab at it,” said the source. That has grown to include some former donors, who have told other candidates that they are waiting to see what Romney does. With a crowded GOP field expected to take shape, the stance also buys donors time to decide on a candidate.

Those people say Romney has felt vindicated by many of the events of the past two years, such as Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.

Most Republicans still doubt that Romney would subject himself to a third grueling national run. They believe he is basking in the praise of his supporters, after the sharp disappoint of his 2012 loss, for which he was vilified by some Republicans at the time. He was widely seen as running a feckless campaign, marked by overcaution and the questionable strategy of making his business record a centerpiece of his bid.

But top Wall Street executives who met with Romney on his recent trip to New York said they came away from the sit-downs – which mostly focused on Solemere, his son Tagg’s Solamere investment firm – more convinced the 2012 nominee was thinking about another run.

“I came away from the conversation with the distinct impression that he was running and that he did not think anyone in the field right now was particularly strong,” said one top executive who met with Romney and requested not to be identified while speaking about a private conversation.

“It sounded like he felt he could win, and that the country had turned in his direction and he looks at the field and does not see anyone who does not look very beatable,” said the executive.

This executive and another who met with Romney said they were struck by the former Massachusetts governor’s comments about Bush, who is also strongly considering a run. These executives said Romney indicated that he would not defer to Bush as the standard-bearer of the establishment wing of the Republican Party.

They also said Romney indicated that Bush would run into even more issues about his business dealings than Romney did over his private equity fortune in 2012. Bush’s latest investment funds, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek story published Thursday, include offshore tax havens and Chinese investors — an indication they would be an ongoing focus if the former Florida governor enters the race. (A Bush aide said in an email that “there are no offshore tax havens” and called the story’s conclusion “a huge and inappropriate leap.”)

As for Romney, he “tells people not to commit to a candidate that is not their first choice and that they aren’t excited about,” said the second executive, who was involved in the meetings. “He does not think much of the current field and does not think it is jelling. He still views himself as the leader of the establishment wing of the Republican Party. He does not feel he owes the Bushes anything and does not think Jeb is the de facto leader of the establishment GOP.”

Among the people Romney has spoken with recently is casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, according to three people familiar with the encounter. Adelson single-handedly kept Newt Gingrich alive against Romney in the 2012 GOP primary through a super PAC, before giving $30 million to a pro-Romney group after he clinched the nomination.

Another person close to Romney said that the former governor’s “body language” is different now and he is “certainly taking a harder look” at getting in the 2016 race. Still, one Romney supporter cautioned that people who want him to run sometimes hear what they want to hear in the former governor’s comments.

Nonetheless, several people have noticed a change in tone, which comes after Romney previously indicated to people that he would only get into the race under an extreme circumstance in which party leaders drafted him during an inconclusive primary process.

“In September he said to me that he’s run twice and now it’s other people’s turn,” said Bobbie Kilberg, a GOP fund-raiser in Virginia who is hoping Republicans can coalesce early around a single center-right establishment candidate.

People who believe Romney has shifted in his thinking said they are unclear about whether he would attempt to run regardless of the field, or whether he would wait to see how Bush and other candidates fare.

Another top Republican operative who is supportive of a Jeb Bush candidacy said that he did not believe Bush would have as much trouble with his financial dealings in a campaign as Romney did.

“Jeb’s wealth and investments are nothing on the scale of Romney’s. He is not building car elevators,” this person said, offering a hint of the bitterness that could ensue if both Romney and Bush run.

Indeed, Bush, for his part, has begun conducting opposition research on himself to identify any potential issues that could arise, a standard move for potential candidates but nonetheless one that indicates his level of seriousness about the process, two people familiar with his plans said.

He has also had discussions about how he would get out of his business ventures. Indeed, one Bush supporter said the former Florida governor would be far more proactive than Romney was in responding to attacks about his business record, which Romney made central to his run.

There will be “no fetal position” from Bush, said the source, a reference to Romney’s decision to wait until he had been defined by Democrats to start hitting back and defining himself.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/mitt-romney-2016-run-113518.html#ixzz3LhqTrNy6

[Dos Equis]

9 Under-the-Radar Politicians Who'll Dominate News in 2015 — Including the 'Female Obama'
By Gregory Krieg  December 15, 2014

As the rest of the world waits for Hillary Clinton's big announcement (spoiler alert: she's running) there will be other serious political fights unfolding in 2015. Many will revolve around who might oppose the former first lady's inevitable presidential campaign, while others will be centered on important, immediate issues like economic inequality and marijuana policy.

There is no separating the issues from the people who will be leading the debate. In the coming year, new faces are set to emerge on the national stage. And at least one is primed to return to old glory.

If you want to get a jump on what promises to be a dramatic and important year in American politics, get to know this formidable gang of nine:

1. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R)


Source: AP
The dark horse: Mike Pence, the Hoosier State's Republican governor, has deep ties to the mega-donor Koch brothers, which means he'll be able to take the necessary time building up his inevitable presidential campaign. (Candidates with fewer backers need lots of early success to build fundraising momentum.) That he's spent these past two years working so nearby Iowa, home to those all-important first presidential caucuses, doesn't hurt either. Pence also enjoys the unique ability to sell himself as a "Washington outsider" — that priceless political talking point — while also being deeply connected to the Beltway, having spent a decade there as a congressman from 2003 to 2012.

What they're saying: "He is an evangelical Midwestern conservative who has the compelling family story to tell of his grandfather being an Irish immigrant who drove a bus in Chicago," John Dunagan, a former George W. Bush campaign aide told the Daily Caller. Mix that in with a spotless record of anti-union, pro-tax cut policy initiatives and you have the candidate Republicans hoped Ricky Perry would be in 2012.

2. California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D)


Source: Getty Images
California's next senator? Kamala Harris was elected as California's first-ever black female attorney general in 2010, and she will begin her second term as the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the country's biggest state this January. But pundits are already speculating about Harris' next move. If someone like Vice President Joe Biden or former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley can upset Hillary Clinton and grab the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, expect to see Harris on the shortlist for vice president.

Barring that, she's expected to turn her attention to the Senate. Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer is looking more and more likely to retire at the end of her current term, meaning California is probably going to need a new senator in 2016. There's also going to be a governor's race in 2018. Harris will be a major player in one if not both of those races, and she'll need to lay the groundwork in 2015.

Oh, and she's open to to broader efforts to legalize marijuana. 

What they're saying: "She very well could become the 'female Barack Obama' of liberal dreams," according to Politico.

3. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D)


Source: AP
Not ready for Clinton: Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley doesn't have the following of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) or the progressive cred of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), but he is considered the most realistic threat to Hillary Clinton's claim to the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. The former Baltimore mayor showed his hand recently, calling on the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor to further investigate the individuals behind the CIA torture program. He knows it won't ever happen, but the words alone will gain him some traction with more liberal Democrats.

Pundits say that Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown's loss in a November race to succeed O'Malley, despite the governor's support, was a sign of weakness. But O'Malley remains a popular figure in the state and a crafty politician. (Fans of the HBO seriesThe Wire should know that councilman-turned-mayor Tommy Carcetti was conceived with O'Malley in mind.)

What they're saying: "I think right now O'Malley is running to become the other guy, with the hope that the field will quickly narrow to two candidates. ... Of all the people out there [who could run against Clinton in the primary], he's the one I would be most worried about," longtime Democratic strategist Joe Trippi told the Washington Post in September.

4. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R)


Source: AP
Future VP? The Washington press corps doesn't normally spend too much time on New Mexico politics. But that is going to change in 2015. While the usual suspects duke it out for the GOP presidential nomination, twice-elected Gov. Susana Martinez will be waiting just offstage, one of the heavy favorites to join the eventual nominee on the general election ballot.

Assuming the party goes with a white male candidate, Martinez will be zeroed in on as the answer to Democrats' strong standing with women and Latinos. (She criticized President Obama's executive actions to stop deportation of people living in the U.S. without permission, but has also advocated for some kind of comprehensive reform.)

Martinez and her husband Chuck are Republican converts — they used to be Democrats. She switched parties in 1996 before running for district attorney.

What they're saying: "She looks great on paper, and that's what the national operatives see," influential New Mexico journalist Joe Monahan told Real Clear Politics. "I think really the Achilles' heel here that she has to overcome is that perception of being the Sarah Palin-type figure. The national political community is not going to risk that again."

5. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)


Source: AP
Mission impossible: The world's second most famous pair of Castro brothers are taking the capital by storm. Joaquin Castro is a Democratic congressman from Texas' 20th district, while his identical twin brother Julian left his post as mayor of San Antonio to become join President Obama's cabinet as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

But it is the one-minute-younger Joaquin who figures to have a very interesting 2015. Politico reports that he is one of two potential candidates to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Never heard of it? Just know this: If he gets the job, his charge will be to return Democrats to a House majority following three elections in which they have lost an incredible 69 seats.

Though he could wait until 2018 to challenge Texas Gov.-elect Greg Abbott, there is a growing belief that Castro is eyeing a 2016 showdown with tea party leader and likely presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R).

What they're saying: "He is, separate from his brother, an astute, emergent leader in his hometown, within his district, across the state of Texas, and you only need to look at the Sunday news programs to understand that he's got a voice that's listened to nationally," Henry R. Munoz Jr., family friend and national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee, told the Washington Post in August.

6. Sen.-elect Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)

Source: YouTube
Ready to make D.C. squeal: "I'm Joni Ernst. I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm."

And with that, the soon-to-be senator from the Hawkeye State made a memorable entry on to the national stage. The Iraq War veteran will be the first female senator from Iowa and likely its most conservative in decades. Expect to see her alongside Sens. Cruz and Mike Lee (R-Utah), ruthlessly fighting against gun control legislation and anything the United Nations might agree on.

But contrary to what some critics might suggest, Ernst is no Sarah Palin. She is a smart politician whose "mother, soldier, leader" mantra during the campaign gives you an idea of how she'll allocate her power. Expect her to be, for better or worse, a strong voice on national security policy for years to come.

What they're saying: "I'd like to like her," an Iowa Democrat told Politico during the campaign. "She's personable; farmer's [daughter], in the National Guard. I think that carries a lot of weight. A lot of people admire the combination she's got."

7. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R)


Source: AP
Wall Street's man in Ohio: Recently reelected Ohio Gov. John Kasich has quietly gone about the business of rebuilding the state economy, which was in shambles when he arrived on the job in 2010. Kasich is steeped in corporate America, having worked as a managing director at the criminally mismanaged financial house Lehman Brothers from 2001 to 2008, but he's no ideologue. He accepted the Medicaid expansion provision (which meant more federal money to insure the poor and elderly) from Obamacare when most Republican governors would not, though he still pays lip service to the idea of repealing other parts of the law.

Kasich will have a hard time not getting caught between bigger-money establishment candidates and tea party firebrands if he decides to enter the 2016 fray, but you can bet he'll be a big part of the discussion.

What they're saying: "I know he wants to have a legacy that shows he provides for citizens who have difficult circumstances, and more importantly for young people who need the opportunity to work," Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R) told Politico in October.

8. Dr. Ben Carson


Source: AP
The chosen one: Dr. Ben Carson is not going to be elected president in 2016. But he will certainly have a big influence in the Republican nomination contest, scheduled to formally begin in late summer 2015. Like him or not, the strict conservative pediatric neurosurgeon-turned-politician is a really compelling character. In October 2013, he called Obamacare "the worst thing that has happened to this country since slavery." In June, he had to clarify with a reporter that he did not think it was "worse than 9/11."

Consider this Nov. 20 exchange with an interviewer from the Christian Broadcasting Network:

David Brody: How is that conversation going with God about this potential presidential run? Has He grabbed you by the collar yet? I read an article about that.

Ben Carson: I feel fingers. But it's mostly me. I have to be sure and it's part of my personality that says always look before you leap, but don't leap before you have to.

Brody: I do cover the presidential campaign trail. May I potentially see you there soon?

Carson: I think there is a good chance you might.

The man feels the "fingers" of God pushing him toward the campaign trail. "Draft Ben Carson," indeed!

What they're saying: "If Herman Cain could poll 40% of the back vote, running against a black candidate, just imagine what percent of the black vote Dr. Carson would receive running against Hillary Clinton of any other far-left white Democrat!" said John Philip Sousa, the great musician's namesake, on Carson's website.

9. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)


Source: AP
Got her groove back: Laugh if you want, but the 27-year congressional veteran and former speaker of the House is looking primed for a serious revival in 2015. After spending the first six years of the Obama presidency working doggedly and at great political cost (see what happened to her majority after it passed Obamacare), Pelosi publicly broke with the White House over a Wall Street giveaway when it came time to hammer out a $1.1 trillion bill to fund the government.

The minority leader and her liberal allies, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), ultimately lost that battle, but they made a significant point: Republicans and a White House apparently willing to compromise on economic issues are going to have a smart, seasoned politician tearing at their pant legs for the next two years.

What they're saying: "What Pelosi's revolt [on the spending bill] made clear is that while there will be more Republicans in the House and Senate come January, nothing can get done (or at least nothing can get done easily) without some portion of liberal Democrats on board," the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza wrote on Dec. 11.  "This was a warning to the White House and Senate Democrats not to cut Pelosi out or take her (or her liberal Democratic allies) for granted going forward."

Up next: Going forward, we will keep our eyes, ears and computer browsers open; in a year like this, with both major political parties looking for a new standard bearer, you never know who's going to pop up and change the game. What's not in doubt: It's going to be a lot of fun to watch.

http://mic.com/articles/106206/9-under-the-radar-politicians-who-will-make-waves-in-2015

[Dos Equis]

McClatchy-Marist poll shows Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush leading GOP pack
By JENNIFER SHUTT 12/15/14

A new poll shows former presidential candidate Mitt Romney leading the field of likely 2016 Republican candidates.

The McClatchy-Marist poll, released Monday, shows Romney has the support from about 19 percent of Republican voters, with Jeb Bush receiving 14 percent.
Story Continued Below

The former governors were followed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Mike Huckabee, both with 9 percent. Ben Carson received 8 percent.

If Romney doesn’t enter the 2016 Republican primary, the poll showed Bush with 16 percent, Huckabee with 12 percent, Christie with 10 percent and Carson with 8 percent.

On the Democratic side, 58 percent of those polled said they hope the party will nominate a candidate who will break from President Barack Obama’s policies. That’s a 10 percentage point increase over last year.

As expected, Hillary Clinton leads over any other potential Democratic challenger by large margins, the poll finds.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/gop-poll-2016-mitt-romney-jeb-bush-113588.html#ixzz3M5hja643

[Dos Equis]

Someone just shared this with me.  Have no idea if it's reliable. 

National Poll Shows Dr. Ben Carson In The Lead For 2016 Presidential Run


National Poll shows Dr. Ben Carson in the lead for 2016 Presidential Run

The Patriot Action Network ran a poll yesterday and with nearly 5,000 votes came up with these results. As you can see, Dr. Ben Carson won with only 2 votes to spare. This is very interesting considering many people across the nation have yet to hear of this astounding doctor who would be president.

I knew the name, but did not know a  lot of background on him until a few months ago when the buzz starting going around that there was a genius doctor who was taking the conservative crowd by storm. Each time I heard his name mentioned I would wonder what all the fuss was about, and then I found out. In one word ….. INSPIRING!

Take a look at this 27 minute video, and tell me what you think. I know that’s a long time commitment for some of you, but trust me, you will be glad you did.

He received a call after this conference from the White House team requesting that he issue the president an apology. Dr. Ben Carson denied any direct offense to the POTUS and did not comply, but later said in an interview of his remarks: “If the shoe fits, wear it.”

For the last few weeks, I’ve done a lot of research and here is what I have come to know about Dr. Ben Carson:

He is a man of integrity.
He is NOT worried about the PC Police.
He is a Christian and proud of it.
Inspiring life story of struggle and success. (Check out the book/movie “Gifted Hands”)
Director of Pediatrics Neurosurgery at world renowned institute of healing, Johns Hopkins.
Conservative based on our Founding Fathers and the Constitution.
He has a very easy way of speaking and without raising his voice, can make his point very cleverly.
Love this country.
Loves his family.
Will serve as president ONLY BY THE WILL of the people, as it is not his ambition, but his obligation to serve.

This was all very interesting to me. I don’t know if it’s my jaded soul or that I’ve been mixed up in politics far too long, but I must admit, after weeks of researching and being truly touched by the sincerity and knowledge of this man, all I could think of was, “Ok, so what is he hiding”? He almost seems too good to be true. I believe he may be exactly what this country needs to turn us back to our founding principles. He is educated, compassionate, a strong conservative and a straight shooter who has not an ounce of maliciousness in his demeanor.

Hmmmmm, sound good to you?

http://buzzpo.com/national-poll-shows-dr-ben-carson-lead-2016-presidential-run/?utm_content=buffer16f21&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=positivelyrepublican

[240 is Back]

Yeah, the biggest fear of repubs shouldn't be Hilary.  It should be a young, fresh-faced person WITHOUT the burden of shit policy that obama was carrying. 

imagine Mitt... who couldn't defeat the low, low number of Obama... up against a female fresh POSITIVE face.  Obama was tired as shit in 2012 and still whooped romney by what, 70 or 80 or 90 electoral votes?   imagine a fresh face against the same old, same old.

[TheGrinch]

100% guaranteed Hildog vs Jeb


elections are rigged but you go ahead... go on believing you actually have a choice....


"baaaa.... baaaaaa...baaaaahhh" said the sheeple

[Dos Equis]

100% guaranteed Hildog vs Jeb


elections are rigged but you go ahead... go on believing you actually have a choice....


"baaaa.... baaaaaa...baaaaahhh" said the sheeple

Who, specifically, has rigged the 2016 election and how did they do it?

[Dos Equis]

Fox News Poll: Romney Beats Bush
Wednesday, 17 Dec 2014
By Jennifer G. Hickey

Mitt Romney sailed past Jeb Bush as the top choice among voters for the Republican Party's 2016 presidential campaign, according to a new Fox News poll.

Although he has continued to deny he is running again, Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, enjoys a healthy lead over all potential GOP rivals with the support of 19 percent of self-identified Republicans.

Coming in second with 10 percent support is Bush, a former Florida governor, who announced via Facebook this week that he was actively exploring the GOP nomination.

For the first time, the Fox News poll included Romney as one of the options, and he and Bush were the only two potential candidates with double-digit backing. In the previous poll, Bush led with 12 percent.

The rest of the field, which includes New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, all garner 8 percent of the vote, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker lags behind at 7 percent.

Former Fox News contributor and neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan both had 6 percent support, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has 5 percent, the poll says.

"Rumors about Romney running again are likely to get a further boost with these numbers," Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who joined with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, tells Fox News.

"With Romney and Bush running one and two among GOPers, you wonder if John McCain or Bob Dole want to get in on the action," Shaw added.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds an overwhelming 62 percent to 12 percent lead over her closest rival, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Since her less-than-impressive book tour and some well-publicized gaffes, speculation about a Warren candidacy have increased, which is reflected by Clinton's slight decline in the Fox News poll.

Since April, Clinton's support fell from 69 percent to 64 percent in July, and is now at 62 percent.

The findings of the Fox News poll are similar to a recent Quinnipiac University Poll, which also showed Romney and Clinton topping their respective party's presidential fields.

In that survey, released on Nov. 26, Republican voters nationwide favor Romney over Bush by a 19 percent to 11 percent margin. Christie and Carson are tied at 8 percent, while no other Republican tops 6 percent. Among national Republicans, 16 percent remain undecided.

If Romney sticks with his position that he is not running, Bush would take the top spot with 14 percent. Christie follows at 11 percent and Carson with 9 percent.

Meanwhile, the Quinnipiac poll found Clinton's support at 57 percent, with Warren garnering the support of 13 percent of national Democrats and Vice President Joseph Biden trailing at 9 percent.

"Remember Mitt? Republicans still have Gov. Mitt Romney top of mind and top of the heap in the potential race for the top job. But Jeb Bush looms large in second place,"  Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a press release.

"With New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie also in the mix, it looks like Republican voters are favoring more moderate choices for 2016," Malloy said.

In a new Monmouth University poll, Clinton also holds a strong 48 percent to 6 percent lead over Warren, although many voters appear open to alternatives.

"When nearly half of Democratic voters volunteer the name Hillary Clinton as their choice for 2016, it’s hard to deny that she is the clear front runner.

"At the same, time Democrats do not want the nomination process to be a coronation," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a press release.

http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/2016-presidency-candidates-romney/2014/12/17/id/613525/#ixzz3MBB8Fo7F

[Dos Equis]

George Pataki ‘very seriously’ considering 2016 run for President after trips to New Hampshire, North Carolina
The three term Republican governor took a swipe at President Obama, saying his experience trumps ‘someone who may speak well but has never run anything.’
BY GLENN BLAIN  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, December 16, 2014


'I ran a big complex state government under very difficult circumstances, in my opinion, very well,' said Pataki of his three terms as governor.

ALBANY — Former Gov. George Pataki said Monday he is “very seriously” considering a run for President, adding, “I have no doubt in my mind that I have the ability to run this country well.”

Pataki told the Daily News he believes the nation needs leaders with exactly the kind of executive experience that he has.

“When you look at the last six years, we have someone who may speak well but has never run anything,” Pataki said in a swipe at President Obama.

His record of cutting taxes and shrinking government, he said, are what’s needed at the federal level.

“I ran a big complex state government under very difficult circumstances, in my opinion, very well,” he said.

Pataki, 69, will decide sometime next year whether to run, he said.

“What I have been doing is going to states and meeting with ordinary citizens, people who care and seeing what their opinion is,” the former three-term governor said.

“That's what I have always tried to do and the reaction I've been getting is very positive.”

Although political experts have scoffed at the idea of a Pataki 2016 campaign, suggesting that Pataki is simply trying to build up his legal and consulting business by elevating his profile, people close to the former governor insist a candidacy is a real possibility.

Recognizing this could be his last hurrah in politics, Pataki seems to more serious now than during his past flirtations with a national candidacy. He already has made a handful of trips to key primary states New Hampshire and South Carolina.

State GOP Chairman Ed Cox said Pataki would be a “very good” candidate but he stopped short of promising the backing of New York Republicans.

“We have a state committee that would do that if they were going to do it,” Cox said. Still, “He's a three term Republican governor of New York State, that says a lot,” Cox said.

Pataki spoke to The News after addressing a meeting of state Republican leaders that was called to discuss what the party must do to get its mojo back in New York. The GOP hasn’t won a statewide race since Pataki captured a third term in 2002.

Pataki and his former aide John Cahill, who lost his race for state attorney general this year, both said the GOP needs to make better inroads with minority communities in New York City to be successful.

“When you make a concerted effort and tell people that the ideas and principles you have are important to improving everyone's life, than you can expand and broaden the base of the party,” Pataki said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/george-pataki-run-president-article-1.2046745

[Dos Equis]

Future uncertain, Romney sits atop GOP polls
BY BYRON YORK | DECEMBER 18, 2014

Mitt Romney, left, on the field before an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the...
It can be hard to take the idea of a Mitt Romney 2016 presidential run seriously. After all, this is the man who said of losing general election candidates, "They become a loser for life." At least in presidential terms, he had that mostly right.

But what to make of polls continuing to show Romney at the head of the Republican presidential pack a little more than a year before the Iowa caucuses? A Fox News survey released this week found Romney the GOP leader, with 19 percent, ahead of Jeb Bush, who was pretty far back at 10 percent. Everybody else was bunched together behind Bush.

A McClatchy-Marist poll a few days earlier showed a similar result, with Romney leading at 19 percent and Bush at 14 percent. A Quinnipiac poll before that found Romney at 19 percent and Bush at 11 percent.

Many polls don't include Romney in their surveys. But the many that do suggest that, at least for now, Romney is a front-runner, if not the front-runner in the 2016 Republican race.

People in Romney's circle realize that some of his standing in the polls reflects nothing more than name recognition; everybody knows the guy who ran for president in 2012. But they believe there's more to it than that. In discussions this week, they pointed to what they think is a widespread belief among voters, certainly among Republicans, that Romney was right about some key issues in the 2012 campaign.

"I don't really think you can objectively chalk it up to name ID," says one resident of Romneyworld. "People are saying, 'He was right.' I think that has happened in so many different ways that people are looking at it with a fresh perspective." Another Romneyworld insider points to Russia, terrorism, and the economy as areas where Romney was prescient in 2012.

Some of the people who talk with Romney say they specifically avoid the subject of his running in 2016. They still believe he would be a good president, but they don't want to push. "I don't press him on it," says yet another in Romney's circle. "It's a personal decision."

"I don't bring it up," says another. "When we talk, we talk about what's going on in the world."

Some of the donors who supported Romney in 2012 aren't so shy; they're happy to tell Romney they believe he should run again. "He's being encouraged by people every day," says one confidant.

The big mystery, of course, is what Romney himself is thinking. As long as Romney keeps quiet, the outside world will be guessing. But it's probably smart to divide the question into two parts.

The first is what Romney thinks about the actual decision to run or not to run. That, nobody knows. The second is what Romney thinks about who would be the best president. That's not so mysterious. Romney ran in 2012 because he believed he was the best man for the job. There's no indication he has changed his mind.

Those close to Romney don't believe the recent moves by Jeb Bush, who now says he is "actively exploring" a presidential run, will have any effect on Romney. A bigger question will be whether a leader emerges in the GOP field to bring Republican voters together.

"One of the luxuries he has is he doesn't have to necessarily make up his mind and make a decision right now," says one. "He can take stock of the field and how it develops."

So here is a scenario. The Republican race that develops in 2015 is splintered and unhappy, with no candidate gaining the stature and respect needed to make a good nominee. The campaign becomes a protracted fight that diminishes each of its participants. Party leaders look for a savior. Romney is there.

It probably won't happen. And Romney knows — we know he knows because he has said as much — that a political figure who has a halo around his head when he is out of the fray will be just another punching bag if he gets in.

Still, there are the polls. And, for some of those around Romney, the hope. Right now, all they know is that there is a chance — maybe a tiny one, but a chance — of another run.

"I can't really put any kind of prediction on it," says one of the Romneyworld insiders of the possibility that Romney will run again. "I wouldn't say there is zero chance of it. I would definitely not say it is zero."

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2557618/

[Dos Equis]

Cuba decision boosts Rubio's profile
By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
Thu December 18, 2014

(CNN) -- Marco Rubio needed to get back on the radar after his fellow Floridian, Jeb Bush, jolted the political world this week with an announcement that he was considering a presidential run.

The Republican senator got help from an unlikely source: President Barack Obama

Rubio seized on Obama's decision to thaw relations with Cuba to become the first -- and most forceful -- of the potential 2016 presidential contenders to oppose the move.

 Is Cuba all set for a tourism boom? President Castro's daughter speaks out Dan Rather: The country has not yet caved
He appeared on every major news network except for MSNBC on Wednesday, hammering Obama as "willfully ignorant" on U.S.-Cuba relations and promising to do everything within his power as an incoming chairman of a subcommittee that handles Cuba policy to "unravel" the administration's plans.

He spoke in both English and Spanish, and couched his opposition in his own family story, as the son of two immigrants who fled Cuba.

But more than an opportunity, seizing on the development is a necessity for the senator as he stares down the man — who has been a mentor of sorts to the young conservative star — that many Republicans are calling the "elephant in the room" crowding others out of the presidential race.

Bush's announcement on Tuesday that he's "actively exploring" a run for president immediately shifted the dynamic of the GOP presidential primary fight. Many political observers believe that Rubio won't run if Bush does — and, more than that, Rubio can't run if Bush does.

Indeed, GOP donors say his announcement has already begun to lock up much of the establishment money. And with the political establishment already speaking out in favor of Bush, Rubio's path to the nomination has narrowed.

Bush associates insist the two aren't at odds on the Cuba issue, noting the former Governor also came out staunchly opposed in a statement later Wednesday.

"I don't see how this is a 'fight' between them," a spokeswoman said. "The President made a very ill-advised decision and two Florida leaders who have engaged on the issue for decades engaged."

But the U.S. policy shift on Cuba offers Rubio a unique opportunity to regain control of the national spotlight, and draw a stark comparison with Bush in style, if not in substance.

Rick Wilson, a Florida-based GOP operative with ties to Rubio, noted that he came out early and aggressively on the issue, where Bush hesitated.

"All the way across the board he was the guy you could count on yesterday to correctly assess the situation. He became the counterweight against the the president," he said. "Bush handled it, but it was later in the news cycle."

The issue of U.S.-Cuba relations also gives him an opportunity to show his ability to get things done on Capitol Hill. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he's on board with whatever Rubio says on the issue.

And if the senator keeps his promise to block the administration's moves at every opportunity, he'll keep his name and message in the media even as other Republican contenders ramp up their own campaigns and draw much of the party's attention.

But more than that, the administration's announcement was an opening for Rubio to highlight what his supporters say is his best rationale for running — and why his choice, aides insist, will have nothing to do with what Bush decides: His compelling personal story.

The party acknowledged after the 2012 elections that it can't compete nationally if it doesn't mitigate its deep deficit with Latinos. Both Rubio and Bush are seen as credible messengers to that demographic group — they both speak fluent Spanish, and Bush's wife was born in Mexico.

But Rubio is the son of immigrants, and his supporters say that gives his message a particular resonance. And they note that he's one of the youngest potential contenders in the field.

"The Cuba situation ties into everything that makes Marco Marco, which is he understands, from the position of a son of two immigrants, what it means to come from a country like that to this one," said Matt Keelen, a GOP fundraiser and Rubio supporter. "It fits into what I believe, if he runs, his theme is going to be — which is the lack of belief in the American Dream," he added.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/18/politics/rubio-bush-cuba-relations/index.html?hpt=po_t3

[Dos Equis]

National Journal: Bush, Paul, Rubio Seize Momentum as 2014 Ends

Image: National Journal: Bush, Paul, Rubio Seize Momentum as 2014 Ends Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, R-Fla., Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images; Yuri Gripas/Reuters/Landov; and Michael Reynolds/EPA/Landov)
Monday, 22 Dec 2014
By Melanie Batley

With 2014 drawing to a close, the National Journal has analyzed the positions of a range of potential 2016 presidential candidates and determined whether they are better off or worse off than they were at the beginning of the year.

"2014 saw a flurry of activity from politicians jockeying for early position in the 2016 field at the Capitol, in statehouses, and on the midterm trail all across the country. Some emerged in a more fortunate position than others," the Journal said.

The six candidates the Journal believes are better off are all from the GOP field: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is actively considering a bid; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and outgoing Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The five candidates the Journal says are worse off include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

"Bush has secured the inside track on becoming the GOP's establishment candidate. His early move will allow him to set the tone at the outset of the party's nominating contest: Bush is expected to cut into the bases of several potential rivals, and he may force other candidates to alter their timetables," the Journal wrote.

The Journal said, however, that there are still some factors that could affect his candidacy in unknown ways, such as how his moderate positions on immigration and education will play out in a GOP primary.

"At the beginning of the year, Paul was still widely seen as a fringe candidate who wouldn't be able to compete in a modern-day Republican primary. Paul still has not totally shed that reputation, but he is now more widely accepted within the mainstream of the party than he was in January," the Journal said.

The Journal said Rubio's strength lies in his hawkish foreign policy positions, most recently on Cuba.

"Bush's announcement will certainly make it tougher for Rubio to attract the money he would need from donors in Florida.  But he already has a strong political team in place and the ability to be a top-tier candidate," the Journal said.

The Journal noted Scott Walker's recent landslide re-election as an indicator of his rising status, and said John Kasich has also had a boost from his massive re-election victory.

"Perry is in a better position than a year ago for one simple reason: He had nowhere to go but up. His disastrous 2012 campaign still haunts him, but he has gone to great lengths to improve his image ahead of an expected second bid for the White House in 2016."

Clinton is worse off than this time last year, the Journal said, because her favorability ratings are low and she had some bad publicity during the year surrounding her book tour.

"Overall, Clinton is in a slightly less favorable position than she was a year ago."

Christie has lost the most of all the candidates this year, the Journal said.

"No one had a worse start to the year than Christie. The George Washington Bridge scandal has permanently tarnished his image, and with federal indictments possibly around the corner, it might be just the beginning," the Journal wrote.

"Christie entered the year as a — if not the — top contender for the GOP nomination. He has some serious work to do if he wants to reclaim that status in 2015."

Meanwhile, while Cruz continues to have a strong sway among evangelicals, the Journal said, but he has suffered some setbacks in his status this year.

"Cruz may still be the tea party's favorite son, but the Texas senator's star power has diminished since the days of the 2013 government shutdown," the Journal said.

The Journal also said that Bobby Jindal has struggled to gain any traction this year and his approval rating in his own state has dropped. O'Malley's favorability has also dropped in his state, while his polling among Democrats nationally is in the low single digits, the Journal said.

http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/Jeb-Bush-Hillary-Clinton/2014/12/22/id/614415/#ixzz3Mg6chMjz

[Dos Equis]

Team Rubio: Jeb won't push us out of 2016
By Alexander Bolton - 12/26/14

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is planning to take a more active role on the national political stage next month, undeterred by his former mentor Jeb Bush’s moves toward running for president.

Republican strategists predicted months ago that Rubio would not run for the White House if Bush waged a bid. They assumed Rubio’s fundraising base in Florida would migrate entirely to Bush, the state’s former governor.

Bush announced in mid-December that he would “actively explore” running for president. Now Rubio is gearing up for a busy January, when he will launch his new book, “American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone.”

“I know for a fact that the news last week didn’t change any of our team’s plans. Sen. Rubio will have a very aggressive travel schedule next month,” said a senior Rubio advisor.

Rubio assured a group of top GOP fundraisers at a dinner at the W Hotel in Washington earlier this month that Bush would not push him out of the race.
He said he would make a decision about the presidency irrespective of the intentions of any other candidate, said one GOP fundraiser who attended.

The 43-year-old conservative star doubled down on his pledge during television interviews last weekend.

“When you reach a point where you are thinking about running for president, as I am, what you have to make your decision is on is not on who is running. It's on whether you think that's the right place to achieve your agenda and serve your country,” Rubio said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

He said he would run for the White House only if he decides “that’s the right place for me to serve at this moment in my life.”

Rubio says he has “tremendous respect” for Bush and acknowledges he will be a “very credible” and “strong” contender.

Rubio gave the fundraising heavyweights assembled at the W Hotel, dubbed “Team Rubio,” a preview of what will likely become his presidential campaign theme: Restoring Americans’ fading hopes for upward economic mobility.

A nationwide New York Times poll conducted from Dec. 4 to 7 found that only 64 percent of respondents said they still believed in the American Dream.

Rubio’s top financial backers say Bush’s likely entry into the 2016 GOP primary doesn’t hurt him as much as it does candidates more aligned with the party’s establishment, such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee.

“I think Christie and Walker are more impacted by Jeb,” said Matt Keelen, a top Republican strategist and fundraiser. “I think a lot of people that were coalescing around Christie were Bush people and had ties to the Bush infrastructure. That’s probably not going to be there for him.

“Those two guys were the biggest beneficiaries of Jeb not running,” he said of Christie and Walker.

Vin Weber, a prominent Republican strategist who served as a top adviser to Romney’s 2012 bid, agreed that Jeb’s presumed entry into the race will not impact Rubio as much as some other candidates.

“If [Rubio] wants to run, he’ll be a competitive candidate too. The notion that there’s room for only one Florida candidate is pretty narrow,” he said.

“My own instinct and based on people I talked to is that Christie is more affected,” he added. “Gov. Bush getting into it early is going to take away a certain number of people who would have gravitated to Christie.”

But Rubio will also lose fundraising talent to Bush, his allies concede.

Dirk Van Dongen, the president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, says he has a longstanding commitment to Jeb and the Bush family. He was a leader of Rubio’s inside-the-Beltway fundraising team.

But the other leaders of Rubio’s D.C.-New York money machine, including former Rep. Bill Paxon (R-N.Y.), a senior advisor at Akin Gump, a lobbying and law firm, and Wayne Berman, a senior advisor for global government affairs at the Blackstone Group, are said to be sticking with Rubio.

Two other well-connected Rubio fundraisers with strong ties to the Bush family, Kirk Blalock, a partner at the Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock lobbying firm, and Charlie Black, the chairman of Prime Policy Group, are on the fence, according to members of Rubio’s finance team. The Wall Street Journal reported that Black has suggested he would support Jeb if he ran for president.

“Is it possible to raise an adequate amount of money with Jeb Bush in the race? I think most people say yes. Does it make it more difficult?... The answer to that is yes,” said a GOP fundraiser, who noted Bush’s donor base in Florida is different from Rubio’s.

The fundraiser said Rubio and Bush draw donors from different generations and different regions of the state.

On a national level, the source said, Rubio would draw donors and bundlers who supported Romney’s 2012 bid and Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) 2008 campaign, while Jeb would attract those who supported his brother’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/228014-team-rubio-jeb-wont-push-us-out-of-2016

[Dos Equis]

GOP moves early to court conservative Christians
By Mark Preston, CNN
Wed December 24, 2014

Washington (CNN) -- The first votes of the 2016 campaign won't be cast for another year but there's already a race well underway: The Christian primary.
Republicans are actively courting white evangelical and born again Christian voters, knowing they will be crucial in early-voting states such as Iowa and South Carolina.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is urging people to join him next month in Baton Rouge for a day of fasting, repentance and prayer focused on the future of the United States.

 The Year in Politics 2014 Door-to-Door in Des Moines Bush officials respond to the torture report More than 3 decades of Bushes & Clintons
On the same day, another gathering will take place in Des Moines, where at least five potential GOP presidential candidates will address Iowa voters on "core principles" that include "social conservatism."

In August, Marco Rubio spoke at South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan's "Faith and Freedom" fundraiser. Jindal, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and Mike Huckabee addressed the Iowa Family Leader Summit in that same month. And in November, Ben Carson was the keynote speaker at the Family Leader's annual fundraising dinner.

"It looks like we are going to have more social conservative candidates than we did the last time," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. "It is going to be very competitive."

That's great for social conservatives who are yearning for Republican presidential candidates to speak openly and forcefully about the issues they care about: abortion, religious liberty, and same sex marriage, among others. But a competitive primary could wind up hurting their cause if they aren't able to unite behind one or two candidates.

The splintering of white evangelical and born again Christians may provide an opening for a more centrist candidate to win the Republican nomination -- leaving social conservatives, once again, frustrated that a candidate of their political stripe failed to win.
"From my perspective, it would be a whole lot wiser for us to coalesce behind one candidate than divide up," said Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Family Leader. "But that is easier said than done. I think you let the process play out and if there is an opening, then coalesce. I think you try to do it, but I am not confident."

This lack of certainty has some leaders in the social conservative movement already engaged in discussions about how to avoid diluting their power, especially in Iowa and South Carolina.

For these leaders, the hope is to prevent a repeat of 2012 when Mitt Romney -- considered the more centrist, establishment candidate -- won the nomination in a crowded field of self-described social conservatives. Romney was initially declared the winner of the Iowa caucuses by a mere eight votes over Santorum, who made social conservatism a major part of his campaign.

Several weeks later, after all the caucus votes were certified, it was announced that Santorum, not Romney, had actually won Iowa. But it was too late. Romney had the wind at his back and eventually went on to win the nomination.

A review of the 2012 Iowa caucus entrance poll shows that Santorum won the white evangelical and born Christian vote with 32%, while the remaining support split among five of his rivals: Ron Paul, 19%; Newt Gingrich, 14%; Perry, 14%; and Michele Bachmann, 5%.

What if the white evangelical and born again voters had backed Santorum over one of the other five candidates?

It is not clear if a win in Iowa would have changed the ultimate outcome of Romney winning the nomination. After all, he had the money, infrastructure, and backing of the GOP establishment. But naming Romney the initial winner of the caucuses deprived Santorum the chance to fully seize on an important moment in the campaign.

"At the time, we thought it was ok," said Hogan Gidley, a senior aide on Santorum's presidential campaign. "We got all of the publicity and we called it a win, because we were outspent by so much. But looking back on it, we didn't realize it at the time what comes along with a win in Iowa such as the cover Newsweek, the cover of Time, all of the major publications would have pronounced Rick Santorum as the blue collar conservative and winner of Iowa."
Social conservative leaders also note that John McCain won the 2008 nomination under similar circumstances -- a fractured social conservative base.
"What has happened in the last two presidential election cycles is that the candidates that the Christian conservatives favored split the votes up," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association. "When you get three or four social conservative candidates splitting up the vote, McCain and Romney are going to win."

Jeb Bush and Chris Christie are two names that are often mentioned by social conservatives as centrist candidates who would benefit if the Christian vote splits between several candidates in this election cycle.

Discussions on how to rally Christian conservatives behind one candidate are quietly taking place on many levels, according to several sources familiar with the effort. The most influential group is the Council for National Policy, whose membership includes leaders representing prominent social conservative organizations. GOP candidates are invited to address the CNP in private meetings.

"My goal will be to give conservative leaders every opportunity to see the candidates, to get to know them and to do an apples to apples comparison at the right time," said Perkins, who also serves as the CNP's president. "If that time comes, encourage people to get behind a candidate. But I don't think it is going to be something that happens early."

The next CNP meeting is expected to happen in early 2015.

A major roadblock in unifying behind a singular candidate is the deep, personal relationships that social conservative activists and leaders have developed with individual candidates over the years. As one activist noted, "You bleed with them in battle. There are alliances, friendships ... people who worked hard for you. You don't want to burn them."

But this lack of early unity in the Christian conservative ranks gives the candidates time to sell their vision of governing to this important Republican constituency. And it has already begun in small meetings in Iowa and South Carolina as well as large public meetings over the past year.

Heading into 2015, the Conservative Political Action Conference is the biggest meeting -- drawing activists and leaders to the Washington suburbs in late February. In the spring, the Faith & Freedom Coalition is expected to hold its meeting in Washington, followed by the Values Voter Summit in the fall. And the Family Leader will host its leadership summit in Iowa.

Sprinkled throughout these events will be dinners, fundraisers and candidate forums in several states -- all soapboxes for candidates to woo social conservatives.

Penny Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America, said at the very base level, candidates need to embrace social conservative positions on "life, marriage, religious freedom, and support for Israel." But Nance noted that championing these policy positions is not enough for the candidates if they hope to receive support from conservative Christian voters.

"You have to have a winsome personality," she said. "You have got to have a message that works, that people understand, that deals with the issues that are in the hearts of the voters. And you need to have muscle, infrastructure, ground game and money to win. If you don't have one of these it will be very hard."
Over and over again, Christian conservative activists and leaders emphasized that they are not a single issue constituency group -- noting that candidates need to weave their personal position on social issues into their overall governing plan.

"Evangelical voters are concerned about other issues: the economy, immigration, foreign policy and the U.S. decline on the world stage," said Dr. Tony Beam, an ordained Southern Baptist minister who hosts a morning drive Christian talk radio program in Greenville, South Carolina.

At this point, there doesn't appear to be a frontrunner in the large group of candidates expected to vie for Christian conservative support.

But if Huckabee decides to run, he may have the early edge. The former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist minister hosts a program on Fox News Channel. He knows how to talk to social conservatives in a genuine way, which is key because authenticity will be closely watched by leaders and activists who make up the social conservative movement.

"Whatever they say, they need to truly believe it," said Lisa Van Riper, a longtime social conservative activist in South Carolina. "They need to have a clear action plan, not just give lip service. They need to talk about the current situation and need to be fluid in that and what specific kinds of policies they might propose. If they've done something on the issues, it gives them a lot more credibility than just talking about it."

Mark DeMoss, a leading Christian public relations consultant, said that in the past ideology has trumped pragmatism when social conservatives look at presidential candidates, although he noted in recent year there has been "a little more willingness to not have perfect alignment [on issues] in exchange for trying to win."

Still, DeMoss added, this ideological standard is unique to politics, not to everyday life.

"We don't apply it in business, in school, hiring of a plumber, a painter or an architect," said DeMoss, who was a senior adviser on Romney's presidential campaign. "There is nothing else we do in life where this person has to be my stripe of Christian or I won't work with them. I think it is a double standard litmus test."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/politics/christian-primary/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3

[Dos Equis]

Rubio Moving Close to Decision on Presidential Run
WASHINGTON — Jan 1, 2015
Associated Press

Sen. Marco Rubio says he's moving closer to a decision on whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination, but he's not there yet.

Rubio tells National Public Radio "this is not a gut decision."

He also says in an interview broadcast Thursday that he doesn't have a "date in mind or a time frame in mind" for making his decision, "but certainly soon."

Rubio, a Florida conservative, says he has "tremendous respect" for former Gov. Jeb Bush, who already has announced formation of an exploratory committee. He says that if Bush gets into the race, "he'll be a very credible candidate."

He says the two know a lot of the same people, but adds that "it's not unprecedented" for two people from the same state to run for president.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/rubio-moving-close-decision-presidential-run-27945883

[240 is Back]

Rubio Moving Close to Decision on Presidential Run
WASHINGTON — Jan 1, 2015
Associated Press

I see Rubio sitting out IF Jeb enters the race.  (Same move Romney is doing).

They know the base - true conservatives/tea party - are working their asses off to keep a RINO out of office. They don't want to divide the "moderate" vote between Jeb, Romney and Rubio, and whoever else.  SO they all back Jeb, who easily gets enough share to win, as all the shithead RINO voters rally around him, and the ACTUAL conservatives have to split up their majority of votes between Santorum, Cruz, Rand, Carson?, and whoever else is in the mix from the far right.

And Rubio knows that Jeb would LOVE a veep choice like him    

[Dos Equis]

Mike Huckabee ends talk show, weighs presidential run
By NICK GASS
Updated 1/4/15


Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Saturday night that he would be ending his Fox News talk show to gauge support for a possible presidential campaign.

“There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether I would run for President,” Huckabee told his followers on Facebook. “I won’t make a decision about running until late in the spring of 2015, but the continued chatter has put Fox News into a position that is not fair to them.”

“I feel compelled to ascertain if the support exists strongly enough for another Presidential run. So as we say in television, stay tuned!” he added.

Huckabee, who ran for the Republican nomination in 2008 and hosted his show for more than six and a half years, had drawn renewed attention by criticizing former secretary of state Hillary Clinton last month after she said “smart power” also means empathizing and showing respect for enemies.

“How can we empathize with terrorists who think nothing of beheading innocent men, women and children?” Huckabee asked in a blog post on his website last month.

The 2016 race is already well underway online.

Even before Huckabee had made his announcement, Rand Paul’s PAC was firing away on the digital front. Just as the Kentucky Republican’s political arm had done when Jeb Bush signaled last month he was weighing a White House campaign, Paul’s team bought prime real estate for any Google searches using the terms “Huckabee record,” “Huckabee announcement,” “Huckabee taxes” and “Huckabee common core.”

“Less Taxes Not More,” read one ad for RandPAC. “We need leaders who will cut taxes not raise them. Join us.”

RandPAC also targeted users tweeting about Huckabee or his announcement with ads.

Huckabee’s leadership PAC, Huck PAC, took in $2.2 million in the 2014 cycle, spending approximately $2 million, with about $500,000 on hand. Huckabee’s daughter, Sarah Huckabee, also runs a super PAC called American Principles Fund. In the 2014 cycle, it raised $1.4 million, spent $1.3 million and had $60,000 on hand.

Huckabee came in a distant second to John McCain in the 2008 Republican primaries. The former pastor turned Arkansas governor started strong, winning the Iowa GOP caucus by 9 percentage points over Mitt Romney.

Three in five Iowa caucusgoers in 2008 were evangelical or born-again Christians, but, a week later in New Hampshire, fewer than 25 percent of GOP primary voters were evangelicals. Huckabee finished third in the Granite State, with only 11 percent of the vote.

He then captured his home state of Arkansas, along with Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia. Despite these victories, McCain secured the necessary number of delegates by early March with a clean sweep of contests in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont.

Even though Huckabee faded quickly in 2008, his win in the Iowa caucuses left a big mark on the electorate that votes in that contest, which is a more conservative and more evangelical group than even other segments of the GOP primary electorate elsewhere.

But his slow strip toward ultimately saying he wouldn’t run in 2012 has left many skeptical of his intentions for 2016. The former Arkansas governor appears to have profited financially from being in the national spotlight — raking in money from paid speeches, for instance, and making expansive use of chartered planes — and many believe he’s unlikely to leave aside a life of relative comfort for a long-shot campaign.

Sources say Huckabee still has paid speeches scheduled in the coming weeks. Huckabee also has a book coming out later this month, titled “God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy,” and speculation about a presidential run could add to the hype as he promotes the book.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/mike-huckabee-ends-talk-show-weighs-presidential-run-113948.html#ixzz3NywNzLNw

[Dos Equis]

Long-shot Republican candidates weigh spicing up 2016 race
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
Published January 04, 2015
FoxNews.com



The 2016 Republican presidential field could be bigger than any in recent memory – thanks to a growing second tier of potential contenders.

While several prominent politicians already have insinuated themselves into the mix, from Ted Cruz to Rand Paul to Chris Christie to Jeb Bush, a number of under-the-radar names are now flirting with a 2016 candidacy.

They may be the long shots, but could shake things up -- by playing the spoiler in key primaries, positioning themselves as a potential running mate for the eventual nominee or even becoming a dark horse competitor in the final stage.

"It is definitely a new phenomenon," Ronald Reagan biographer Craig Shirley said of the increasingly crowded fields. (The 2008 and 2012 GOP contests were a political demolition derby.) "I don't think this has anything to do with the growth of the United States, you just have more people who are convinced they are qualified to run for president."

Some potential candidates are hardly new to the game, including Rick Santorum and others.

Longtime Republican pollster Glen Bolger said the lure is especially strong for pols who have inhabited that spotlight. "They figure, Barack Obama can come out of nowhere," he said, referring to the president's leap from one-term senator to president. "They think, 'I can be different, I can break the mold and get the nomination'."

He added: "[But] it's like catching lightning in a bottle. I won't say it can't be done, but that's what a lot of these candidates are relying on."

Here's a look at a few of them:

1. George Pataki


AP
George Pataki, the three-term former New York governor, has said he's weighing a 2016 run, and he seems to be taking the idea seriously. He launched a super PAC called Americans for Real Change, which produced an ad this fall timed with appearances in New Hampshire. His message: fiscal responsibility, with a populist twist.

"Big government benefits the rich and powerful. They can afford to play the game -- you can't," he says in his televised ad. "It's time for a new America, with much smaller federal government. Washington can't run the economy, and shouldn't try to run our lives."

Asked about a possible bid, Pataki told Fox Business Network in November: "I'm thinking about it."

Some analysts consider him a long shot, however. Once a shining light of the Republican revolution in 1994 -- the first year he was elected governor of New York -- his support for gun control and gay rights could cause problems with the conservative base.

"It helps to be known, it helps to be supported by some key element of the base and it helps to raise money," Bolger said. "I'm not sure he fits in any of those categories, much less all three."

2. Rick Santorum


AP
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum remains popular among social conservatives, particularly evangelicals who support his position on abortion issues. And during the crowded 2012 race, he enjoyed a brief period as the "it" candidate.

So would he run again?

After The Washington Post in early December declared that he, indeed, would run, Santorum told Fox News the report might be "hyperbole."

But he acknowledged he's thinking about it.

"No announcements, but we're working at it right now and we are calling people in those [early primary] states ... and we'll make a decision sometime later next year," Santorum said.

The former senator is a divisive figure in politics, but said a "blessing" of his career is that "we've always been underestimated."

Meanwhile, Santorum continues to stay visible in the media as a voice on conservative issues, and has been making the rounds at conservative gatherings, including the Values Voter Summit, where he came in fourth in the straw poll (Cruz won with 25 percent).

According to the Des Moines Register, which is tracking candidate visits to Iowa, Santorum has been there nine times for events since 2012.

3. Carly Fiorina


REUTERS
Ex-Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has maintained a political profile since leaving HP. She worked on John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and ran for Senate, unsuccessfully, in California in 2010.

The Hoover Institution's Bill Whalen noted in a recent op-ed that Fiorina is so far the only woman showing an interest in the GOP nomination. He also called her the only potential candidate with "serious business experience."

She hasn't said she is in, but Fiorina is actively exploring the possibility, according to The Washington Post, which reported she has been talking privately with potential donors and recruiting staffers and grassroots activists.

On Friday, Republican National Committee spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores also announced she was going to work for Fiorina's Unlocking Potential PAC. Flores previously did consulting work for Mitt Romney in 2012.

Fiorina made a stop in the New Hampshire on Dec. 5, delivering remarks at a breakfast hosted by the state's Independent Business Council. She touched on her role as a woman in Republican politics. "Parties need to look as diverse as the nation and speak to people about issues that matter to them," she said.

She, too, hit an anti-big government message. "People who succeeded in bureaucracies want to preserve status quo because it benefits them," she said. "I could be talking about Washington or HP ... we need to think about reform in Washington, which is desperately needed in a systematic way."

4. Bobby Jindal


AP
The son of Indian immigrants, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was once considered a rising star in the party. After he gave the Republican rebuttal to President Obama's 2009 State of the Union address -- and got mixed reviews -- his star dimmed.

But he's kept his hand in national politics, and though he has not said whether he will run, he's been making all the moves. He's taken four trips to Iowa since 2012, according to the Des Moines Register, and has been hitting the conservative gatherings hosting 2016 hopefuls over the last year.

"He's an undervalued stock," top aide Timmy Teepell told the Washington Examiner in October. The paper noted that pundits were skeptical of Jindal's chances, especially since he only had a 33 percent approval rating among his own constituency in Louisiana as of November. "Fortunately D.C. pundits don't get to decide elections," Teepell quipped.

Jindal came in third in September's Values Voter straw poll, indicating he still has a strong appeal to the social conservative base. Most recently, he gave a rare foreign policy speech at the conservative Foreign Policy Initiative. When asked on "Fox News Sunday" about his low ratings among presidential contenders, Jindal said he was substance over style. "This isn't about politicians [who are] popular by kissing babies and cutting ribbons."

"I was at less than two percent when I ran for governor," he said, and since, "we have transformed our state."

5. Robert Ehrlich


AP
Robert Ehrlich, a former Maryland governor, has been giving speeches and keeping his name out there -- even if he's rarely mentioned alongside the Jeb Bushes and Ted Cruzes of the world.

"It all started pretty organically. I got invited to go to New Hampshire this summer and from that, been back a couple more times," Ehrlich told a Baltimore CBS affiliate. Ehrlich said he doesn't know how far he might go as a potential presidential candidate.

While he served as a Republican governor of a very blue state from 2003 to 2007, Ehrlich's name recognition beyond Maryland is lacking, and doesn't even register in the preliminary polling, political experts say.

While he hasn't formalized any exploratory apparatus, he told The Baltimore Sun in early December "there's been some discussion in the last week or so with some people who count."

6. John Kasich and Mike Pence


AP Photo
John Kasich and Mike Pence, the current governors of Ohio and Indiana, respectively, also have been mentioned as possible GOP nominees but neither has said whether he will run. Kasich is a former congressman whom pundits say might have trouble with the party due to his support for a Medicaid expansion under ObamaCare.

Pence, also a former congressman, is popular with Tea Party activists and Christian conservatives -- and has been giving speeches outside his home state.

He also got an endorsement from Steve Forbes at his Reinventing America summit in Indianapolis in November.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/04/long-shot-republican-candidates-weigh-spicing-up-2016-race/

[youandme]

Imagine Biden shooting some guys foot off with a warning shot and then asking him to stand up afterwards.

Some of these are gold:

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/joebiden/a/biden-quotes.htm

lmao
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." --Joe Biden on Barack Obama

"I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack got tested for AIDS. There's no shame in being tested for AIDS. It's an important thing."

[Dos Equis]

EXCLUSIVE — SCOTT WALKER TO IOWA TO SPEAK AT FREEDOM SUMMIT
by MATTHEW BOYLE
8 Jan 2015


Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will speak at the Iowa Freedom Summit at the end of January hosted by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Citizens United, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

“Governor Walker looks forward to sharing the story of Wisconsin’s successful reforms and common sense message with grassroots conservatives,” Walker’s spokesman Tom Evenson told Breitbart News.

Citizens United president David Bossie added that he’s thrilled Walker will join the already impressive lineup of speakers.

“Congressman Steve King and I are thrilled Governor Scott Walker, a leading conservative voice, plans to attend the Iowa Freedom Summit,” Bossie said. “The Iowa Caucus is the first step for any conservative running for the Republican nomination and we are pleased Governor Walker appreciates and respects its importance.”

Walker, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has held off the left for years amid numerous attempts by Democrats to take him down. During his tenure as governor, he’s cut unemployment in Wisconsin substantially—it was 7.8 percent when he took office and it’s currently down to 5.2 percent. He cut taxes by $2 billion, including lowering property taxes in the state compared to their rise of 27 percent in Wisconsin in the decade before he took office. Taxpayers have saved an estimated $3 billion at the state and local level, too, thanks to Walker’s collective bargaining reforms—the catalyst which caused the institutional left, organized labor, and democrats to target him. He also froze tuition for all University of Wisconsin system students for two years and is aiming to do so again for another two years because of the system’s surplus.

The Iowa Freedom Summit event takes place on Saturday Jan. 24, 2015 at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines. “The Freedom Summit will focus on how we can get America back on track by focusing on our core conservative principles of pro-growth economics, social conservatism, and a strong national defense,” the event’s website states.

Other confirmed speakers include 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Dr. Ben Carson, real estate magnate Donald Trump, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA), former United Nations ambassador John Bolton, former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.

Two notable exceptions from the 2016 GOP presidential field won’t be there: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/01/08/exclusive-scott-walker-to-iowa-to-speak-at-freedom-summit/

[Dos Equis]

Paul Ryan says he is not running for president in 2016
Published January 12, 2015
FoxNews.com

Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, one of the party’s young conservative stars, said Monday he won’t run for president in 2016.

The 44-year-old Ryan was the Republican nominee for vice president in 2012. His announcement comes just a few days after his then-presidential running mate, Mitt Romney, said he is considering a 2016 White House bid.

Ryan is the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Social Security and health care.

He said Monday that he wants to focus on his work in Congress and that running the committee will require his undivided attention.

Our work … over the next few years will be crucial to moving America forward,” Ryan said. "It's clear our country needs a change in direction. And our party has a responsibility to offer a real alternative. So I'm going to do what I can to lay out conservative solutions and to help our nominee lead us to victory."

Ryan, when chairman of the House Budget Committee, become a favorite among conservatives for developing detailed plans for reining in federal spending.

However, those plans have also made him a villain among many Democrats and liberal groups.

The Democrat National Committee said after Ryan’s announcement that he might be out of the running but his policy ideas live with such 2016 GOP White House hopefuls as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

“Even as Ryan removes himself from the primary race, the dangerous ideas in his budget plan will live on through each of the other potential GOP 2016 candidates,” the group said.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/12/paul-ryan-says-is-not-running-for-president-in-2016/