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2016 Republican Primary Tag

Posted by Amy Miller on January 30, 2015 10 Comments
Put down those homemade "I STILL BELIEVE IN AMERICA" signs, friends. Romney isn't running. Romney dropped the news on supporters and staff this morning over the course of two conference calls, reaffirming past statements about the 2012 presidential campaign being his last. From the New York Times:
In a second call to a larger group of supporters, Mr. Romney said, “After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee.” Mr. Romney said he believed he could win the nomination, but he expressed concern about harming the party’s chances to retake the White House. “I did not want to make it more difficult for someone else to emerge who may have a better chance of becoming the president,” he said. He added that it was “unlikely” that he would change his mind. Mr. Romney, who did not take questions and ended the call shortly after reading a prepared statement, said that his family had been gratified by the outpouring of support, but had decided that it was best for the Republican Party to step aside. Mr. Romney said he would have no leadership PAC and no exploratory committee.
Fellow candidate Jeb Bush left some nice words for Romney in a classy-yet-campaigney Facebook post:

Posted by Amy Miller on January 30, 2015 25 Comments
By now we're all aware that the race for 2016 started before the ink was dry on the race for 2014. Even before President Obama delivered his already-partially-failed State of the Union slate of promises, we knew that he was going to attempt to pivot away from his party's disastrous performance in the midterms with a renewed commitment to populist platitudes; what we didn't know is whether or not his oft-divided party would follow his lead. Follow his lead they have, according to statements from high-ranking Democrats gathered this week in Philadelphia to talk strategy. From AP's Big Story:
Their newly appointed chief of messaging, Rep. Steve Israel of New York, said House Democrats are "absolutely unified on three essential messages going forward. And it's middle class, middle class and middle class." Israel acknowledged that Democrats talked a lot about the middle class in last fall's elections. But world calamities distracted voters, he said, and Democrats failed to show that their economic policies would directly benefit working class families. Riffing on a campaign line of President Bill Clinton in 1992, Israel said the Democrats' new theme will be, "It's MY economy, stupid." Many Republicans scoff at Democrats' talk of better messaging. "Updating the packaging doesn't help if the product is still lousy," said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Fortunately for Representative Israel, most of voting America isn't yet paying attention to the fact that he's mistaken global calamities for the ones Democrats caused at home. If they were, they'd be calling him on it, because even people who don't live in our political bubble know that the rebel siege on Ukraine isn't responsible for skyrocketing health care costs and larger grocery bills.

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 28, 2015 26 Comments
Charles Krauthammer was on the O'Reilly Factor last night to discuss the Republican contenders for 2016. Wisconsin governor Scott Walker got some kind words from Dr. K, who said that his speech in Iowa last weekend changed things. Watch: You'll notice in the video that O'Reilly and Krauthammer both reference compliments Scott Walker recently received from Rush Limbaugh. Here's a sample from Limbaugh's site:
Scott Walker Wows 'Em in Iowa Scott Walker wowed them in Iowa at whatever this thing was, this Republican, slash, conservative, just wowed them. And you know me, folks, if you have spent any time listening to this program in the last two years, you know that I believe Scott Walker is the blueprint for the Republican Party if they are serious about beating the left. Scott Walker has shown how to do it. And apparently he showed up and he made a speech on Saturday that had people telling them it reminded them of the speech I gave at CPAC... Scott Walker has shown the Republican Party how to beat the left. Scott Walker has the blueprint for winning and winning consistently and winning big in a blue state with conservative principles that are offered with absolutely no excuses. The left, the Democrat Party, threw everything at Scott Walker trying to destroy him. They did everything they could. He not only withstood it all, he survived and triumphed over all of it. They broke rules. They got close to breaking laws. They were threatening his family personally, and he remained undeterred.
Some bloggers are pretty excited about Walker. @rdbrewer from Ace of Spades HQ is already making campaign posters:

Posted by Amy Miller on January 24, 2015 36 Comments
Just minutes ago at the Iowa Freedom Summit, one of 2016's dark horses catapulted himself out of the murky waters of presidential speculation and into the spotlight. That person was Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Even before Walker took the stage attendees knew that something big was about to happen: Once he took the stage, it was all over; and by "all over," I mean, "he blew the crowd away."

Posted by Amy Miller on January 24, 2015 2 Comments
We still have over a year to go before the Iowa Caucuses (February 1, 2016---are you EXCITED?????) but GOP movers and shakers are already descending on Iowa to shake hands, make speeches, and (most importantly) soak in as much of the limelight and media attention as they possibly can. This is the first major event that will bring the presidential hopefuls together under one roof, which means that it's also the first time that newcomers to the game will be able to set themselves apart before a national audience. From the Des Moines Register:
...make no mistake: The campaign is on. Aspirants will spend Saturday trying out messages, drawing contrasts and making contacts. Some may leave Des Moines with national buzz and a higher profile. Some may set themselves back. "It's a real test," said longtime GOP strategist Ed Rollins. "This is the first impression for some of these candidates, and the first impression is very, very important. Who shines?" No fewer than 23 Republican luminaries are committed to attend, including at least eight who have signaled interest in the presidency. Activists have snapped up every last one of the auditorium's 1,251 seats, and 800 more have signed on to a waiting list. About 150 journalists have secured credentials, and organizers are turning down late-arriving requests.
Not every hopeful will be in Iowa this weekend; although popular speakers like Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, and Sarah Palin will be there with bells on, other high-profile would-be candidates like Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal, and Jeb Bush have elected to skip the event.

Posted by Amy Miller on January 17, 2015 20 Comments
A clash of the titans? Or that sweet new car smell? That decision might be made sooner than you think. Starting in August of this year, Republican candidates for President will set out on the debate circuit; but even now, candidates are jockeying for key donors and supporters capable of helping them win the Republican nomination. This past week on Special Report, panelists discussed with Bret Baier the changing dynamics of Presidential politics, new faces, and the Romney vs. Bush throwdown: This cycle's candidates know that they'll need to bring something new to the table if they want to both energize the grassroots and expand their voter base to include people who wouldn't normally vote for a conservative Republican---which is the main reason why the Romney and Bush candidacies have bene lampooned so thoroughly by the conservative new media.

Posted by Amy Miller on January 16, 2015 10 Comments
The dates are set for the 2016 presidential debate cycle---ARE YOU EXCITED??!! Yeah, me neither. But the cycle looms like a dark cloud on the horizon, so we might as well get ready for it. According to reports coming out of this week's Winter Meeting, the RNC is drastically changing the way these debates are planned, structured, and covered. Instead of a barrage of debates, the events will be spread out over 7 months, and no one state will be allowed to host twice. The RNC is also taking steps to help campaigns more fully prepare, and has committed to bringing in a larger conservative media presence to cover the candidates. From a press statement sent out by the RNC:
“The 2016 cycle is underway, and I can tell you it will be a landmark election for Republicans,” Chairman Priebus said. “By constructing and instituting a sound debate process, it will allow candidates to bring their ideas and vision to Americans in a timely and efficient way. This schedule ensures we will have a robust discussion among our candidates while also allowing the candidates to focus their time engaging with Republican voters. It is exciting that Republicans will have such a large bench of candidates to choose from, and the sanctioned debate process ensures voters will have a chance to gain a chance to hear from them. The American people are tired of President Obama’s policies, and I am confident the debate process will enable candidates to communicate their ideas and ultimately help us elect a Republican president in 2016 to get our country back on track.”
Here's the schedule as it stands. 9 dates have been officially sanctioned, with 3 more pending:

Posted by Amy Miller on January 16, 2015 14 Comments
Yesterday, outgoing Texas Governor Rick Perry delivered his farewell address before the Texas legislature. Perry, who is the longest-serving governor in Texas history, used his time at the podium not only to highlight his accomplishments as Governor, but to lay out a rough outline of how his governing style would take shape on the national stage. From KPRC Houston:
"I have come here to reflect on what we have done together, and to say farewell. But most of all, to tell you it has been the highest of honors to serve as your governor for the last 14 years. I believe in public service, that it is among the most honorable of callings," said Perry in the nearly half-hour speech. He said, "Texas is a state where the impossible is possible, where the sons and daughters of migrant workers can aspire to own the farm, where the children of factory workers can build new age manufacturing facilities, where the son of tenant farmers can become governor of the greatest state in the union. In Texas, it’s not where you come from that matters, it’s where you are going. Texas doesn’t recognize the artificial barriers of race, class or creed. The most vivid dreams take flight from the most humble beginnings. And so it was for me."
That isn't what a farewell address sounds like---that's what a campaign kickoff speech sounds like. Watch:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 12, 2015 23 Comments
Dr. Ben Carson has become a fan favorite among Tea Partiers. A well-spoken, educated, political-outsider with an inspiring story, Carson has created enough excitement to inspire a national effort to draft him into a 2016 Presidential bid. Being an untried outsider might prove advantageous in some respects... until it comes time to deal with the airing of the past grievances. Those experienced in political combat have well-trained, battle-ready teams to deal with any unflattering press that might surface. Last week, would-be 2016 presidential contender Dr. Ben Carson apologized for plagiarism. Buzzfeed unearthed attribution issues in Carson's book 2012 book, America the Beautiful. National Review reported:
America the Beautiful, which mixes history, politics, and autobiography, is the first book on which Carson collaborated with his wife, who is credited on the front cover. Candy Carson, the source says, “relied heavily on the editor” to ensure all of the sources were attributed correctly. Carson’s book agent, Sealy Yates, told the Daily Caller that the Carsons “delivered a completed manuscript to the publisher and they then relied on the editorial staff, which every author does.” The book was published by Zondervan, HarperCollins’s Christian division, which is currently featuring Carson’s latest book on its web page. BuzzFeed highlights sentences in the book lifted from a number of sources, including SocialismSucks.net. Zondervan did not immediately return a request for comment.
Following the Buzzfeed report, Carson apologized. According to CNN:
"I attempted to appropriately cite and acknowledge all sources in America the Beautiful, but inadvertently missed some. I apologize, and I am working with my editors to rectify the situation," Carson said in a statement his representative, Armstrong Williams, provided to CNN.

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 11, 2015 165 Comments
Alright Team Insurrection, it's time for another reader poll. Philip Rucker and Robert Costa of the Washington Post are speculating about a political collision between Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney if they both run in 2016:
For Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, a history of ambition fuels a possible 2016 collision Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney have much in common. Both were pragmatic as governors, mild-mannered as candidates and more comfortable balancing budgets at their desks than clinking glasses at a political dinner. The two Republican leaders’ personal rapport is cordial. But they are hardly chummy — and at moments their relationship has been strained, with each man’s intertwined political network carrying some grievances with the other’s. As Bush, 61, and Romney, 67, explore presidential campaigns in 2016, they are like boxers warming up for what could become a brutal bout, sizing each other up and mulling whether or when to step into the ring. Their early maneuvering reveals a level of competitiveness and snippiness that stems from a long history following similar career paths in business and politics prescribed by their dynastic families. “We’re seeing the first shots of the war between clan Romney and clan Bush,” said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist who has worked for both men. “Both bring to the battle incredibly powerful fan clubs as well as wounds they have to heal. How ugly could it get? You’re only competing to lead the free world.”
This is a fight for money as much as politics and the hunt for big donors is already on.

Posted by Amy Miller on January 09, 2015 24 Comments
During a meeting in New York this week, Mitt Romney told a group of key donors that he is "seriously considering" a third run at the Presidency. According to a source at the meeting, Romney confirmed, "I’ve run twice. Yeah, I want to be president,” and indicated that if he were to jump into the race, he'd do it sooner rather than later. From the Washington Post:
“I believe Mitt Romney is too much of a patriot to sit on the sidelines and concede the presidency to Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren when he knows that he can fix the country,” [Romney’s former national finance co-chairman Spencer] Zwick said. “He traveled the country in 2014, met with voters, met with citizens, and I think at the end of the day he believes he could actually make a difference.” Zwick added, “He won’t make a decision to run for president based on who else is in the race. He will make a decision based on his own desire and his own abilities. He has to decide on his own.” Romney’s move, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as former Florida governor Jeb Bush is swiftly snatching up major party donors and operatives as he prepares for an all-but-certain presidential campaign.
Reactions are...mixed? We'll go with mixed:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 03, 2015 37 Comments
Reports are that tonight will be Mike Huckabee's last Saturday night show due to some political announcement he's probably going to be making, if not tonight then soon. Huckabee issued the following statement:
Governor Mike Huckabee will announce tonight on his Fox News show that he is leaving the network after six-and-a-half years as the host of "Huckabee." To close out his final show, Gov. Huckabee said: "Tonight I will do more than just say goodnight. I will say goodbye. This is the last edition of 'Huckabee' on the Fox News Channel. It's been the ride of a lifetime, and I have never had so much fun in my life. But I also realize that God hasn't put me on earth just to have a good time or to make a good living, but rather has put me on earth to try to make a good life. "There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether I would run for President. If I were willing to absolutely rule that out, I could keep doing this show. But I can't make such a declaration. 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 nor is it possible for me to openly determine political and financial support to justify a race. The honorable thing to do at this point is to end my tenure here at Fox. As much as I have loved doing the show, I cannot bring myself to rule out another Presidential run. So as we say in television, stay tuned!"
So what do you think? Should he run?

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 26, 2014 11 Comments
Ballotpedia lists the following Democrats (in alphabetical order) as potential 2016 presidential candidates: Joe Biden Hillary Clinton Andrew Cuomo Kirsten Gillibrand Amy Klobuchar Martin O'Malley Bernie Sanders Brian Schweitzer Party Mark Warner Elizabeth Warren Jim Webb My goodness.  Not much diversity there.  Actually, none. Mostly old white people, not that there's anything wrong with that, but considering the years of demagoguery from Democrats, it certainly is ironic. Republicans, by contrast have a diverse field, including four likely contenders who are "diverse" but eschew presenting themselves as hyphenated Americans or playing racial politics. Politico reports, Race and the race:
Bobby Jindal is Indian-American, but you’ll never hear him describe himself that way. Marco Rubio insists he’s an “American of Hispanic descent.” And Ted Cruz “certainly” identifies as Hispanic, but he didn’t run for office as “the Hispanic guy.” These Republican lawmakers, along with African-American conservative favorite Ben Carson, look poised to make the 2016 GOP presidential field the party’s most diverse ever. They are all mulling over White House runs as the GOP continues to struggle with minority voters and as racial tensions over police conduct have captivated the nation.

Posted by Amy Miller on December 21, 2014 11 Comments
Rand Paul may have drawn first blood in the War on the War on Obama's Cuba Policy©, but it's Marco Rubio who is set to finish this thing with his reputation intact. Today, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) appeared on ABC's This Week and nailed fellow Republican and Senate colleague Rand Paul (R-KY) to the wall over Paul's support for Obama's plan to open up relations with Cuba. From Mediaite:
“If he wants to become the chief cheerleader of Obama’s foreign policy, he certainly has a right to do that,” Rubio said on This Week. “I’ll continue to oppose the Obama foreign policy on Cuba because I know it won’t lead to freedom and liberty for the Cuban people, which is my sole interest here.” Paul and Rubio mixed it up this week after they came out on different sides of Obama’s surprise détente with Cuba. Rubio has been the most vocal opponent of Obama’s normalization of relations with the Castro-run island country, while Paul has suggested this was tantamount to isolationism. Host George Stephanopoulos asked Rubio he would support Paul if he became the GOP’s 2016 nominee. “I anticipate supporting whoever the Republican nominee is and I’m pretty confident that the Republican nominee for president will be someone who has a pretty forceful view of America’s role in the world as a defender of democracy and freedom,” Rubio replied.
Watch:

Posted by Mike LaChance on December 18, 2014 8 Comments
As the son of parents who left Cuba for a better life in America, this is a subject Rubio cares about deeply. He's also extremely well versed in the history of America's relationship with Cuba as you'll see in the videos below. Watching these videos, though, I can't help wonder whether Obama's new Cuba policy will be the spark that launches Rubio's presidential campaign. I've never seen him more impassioned and he now is the leader of the opposition in an area, foreign policy, for which he was not known. One of Rubio's main concerns is the precedent it sets for any government which might think it can use hostages as a bargaining point. Susan Jones of CNS News reports:
Rubio: Obama's New Cuba Policy 'Puts a Price on Every American Abroad' Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he's glad that American "hostage" Alan Gross has been released from a Cuban prison after five years, but he opposes the process by which his release was secured -- "because it puts a price on every American abroad." "Governments now know that if they can take an American hostage, they can get very significant concessions from the United States." As part of the deal to free Gross, the United States will release three Cuban spies: "They're not just benign Cuban spies," Rubio -- the son of Cuban exiles -- told Fox News on Wednesday. "These Cuban spies were involved in providing information to the Cuban government that led to the murder of U.S. citizens in the infamous shootdown of the Brothers to the Rescue aircraft back in 1996. "These were airplanes that used to patrol the Straits of Cuba to find people on rafts and save their lives. The Cuban government shot them down over international waters and they did so largely based on information that at least one of these spies provided them.
This video shows an appearance Rubio made on Fox yesterday morning:

Posted by Mike LaChance on December 13, 2014 27 Comments
It looks more and more like Jeb Bush is going to run for president in 2016. If he does, he'll surely run as one of those moderate Republicans that liberals in media claim to admire and respect, right up to the general election when they transform from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde and savage the Republican candidate in favor of the Democrat. It's an old story that we've seen play out before. The more a Republican disapproves of conservatives, the more the Democrat media complex approves of him. Jeb Bush is already indicating that he doesn't think he'll need conservative support so he's getting the Dr. Jekyll treatment from Jonathan Martin at the New York Times:
In New Election, Jeb Bush Stakes Out the Middle Ground WASHINGTON — When former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida quietly visited Senator John McCain in his Capitol Hill office this fall, discussion turned to a subject of increasing interest to Mr. Bush: how to run for president without pandering to the party’s conservative base. “I just said to him, ‘I think if you look back, despite the far right’s complaints, it is the centrist that wins the nomination,’ ” Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, said he told Mr. Bush. In the past few weeks, Mr. Bush has moved toward a run for the White House. His family’s resistance has receded. His advisers are seeking staff. And the former governor is even slimming down, shedding about 15 pounds thanks to frequent swimming and personal training sessions after a knee operation last year. But before pursuing the presidency, Mr. Bush, 61, is grappling with the central question of whether he can prevail in a grueling primary battle without shifting his positions or altering his persona to satisfy his party’s hard-liners. In conversations with donors, friends and advisers, he is discussing whether he can navigate, and avoid being tripped up by, the conservative Republican base.
In a post that explores this story at Hot Air, Allahpundit makes an excellent observation:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 19, 2014 49 Comments
As part of my continuing effort to gain exposure to new audiences, I have a post at Fox News regarding how Scott Walker's ability to survive the Democratic, union and prosecutorial (John Doe) onslaughts has turned Walker into an emerging star. Congratulations, Democrats you made Scott Walker a rising 2016 star:
Republican victories in the midterm elections widely are viewed as a rejection of President Obama’s failed policies. But are the elections a harbinger of things to come in 2016? For Scott Walker, the answer is yes.... In reelecting Walker, Wisconsin struck a blow against the politics of personal destruction. That is a message Walker now is uniquely capable of delivering to an electoral sick of politics as usual.... Instead, Democrats gave Walker a national electoral credibility they may regret in 2016.
For the rest of the story, go over to the link. Walker is parlaying his victory into greater notoriety, as this appearance from Sunday shows:
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