DEMOCRATS
Hillary Clinton—“A Place In This World”
“I don’t know what I want, so don’t ask me, ‘cause I’m still trying to figure it out.”
As the presumptive Democratic nominee for 2016, Hillary Clinton is “a girl on a mission.” Democrats view the former Secretary of State, Senator, and First Lady as the heir apparent to President Barack Obama after she narrowly lost the Democratic nomination to him in 2008. Many viewed the release of her memoir Hard Choices as a promise of a 2016 campaign. Supporters have launched the “Ready for Hillary” Super PAC, and Clinton herself has recently begun building her senior leadership team. But, she has refused to make her candidacy official yet. In her Twitter biography, Clinton writes her future is still “TBD,” as she searches for her “place in this world.” That place may just be the White House.
Joe Biden—“The Last Time”
“This is the last time I’m asking you this, put my name at the top of your list.”
Our beloved Vice President has openly contemplated launching a third presidential campaign. Prior to becoming President Obama’s Vice President, Biden unsuccessfully ran for Democratic presidential nominations in both 1988 and 2008. Biden is known for his expertise in both foreign policy and bipartisanship through over three decades of service as a United States Senator. He has also become known for his authentic and charismatic personality, for instance jokingly calling the job of the Vice President “a bitch.” Biden will turn 73 years old in 2016, so this very well could be the last time he asks the voters to put his name at the top of the ballot.
Elizabeth Warren—“Change”
“It’s hard to fight when the fight’s not fair.”
Sounds a lot like “The game is rigged,” does it not? “We’ve been outnumbered, raided and now cornered. ” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) agrees, claiming Wall Street has hired “an army of lobbyists and an army of lawyers” to seize power in Washington. Most recently in her fight against Wall Street, she won a war against President Barack Obama’s nomination of Wall Street banker Antonio Weiss for a top Treasury Department position. As she fights for each American to gain “A Fighting Chance”—also the title of her memoir—Warren has gained enormous support from progressives. Supporters love her tenacity and have already started “Draft Warren” and “Run Warren Run” campaigns as a plea to the Senator to throw her name in the hat. Progressives look at the minimum wage, financial regulation, and student loan reform as major issues in 2016. With a Warren presidency, they believe, “these things will change.” As of now, Warren states she “is not running for President,” but she has never used the future tense in her denials.
Bernie Sanders—“I Wish You Would”
“I, I, I, I, I, I wish, I wish you would.”
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will decide if he is running for the presidency by March. As an independent, self-described democratic socialist, Sanders will also have to decide whether to run for the Democratic nomination or an Independent nomination. The voters have given Sanders “everything and nothing.” He has been elected to Senate as an independent, but third party candidates have never been elected to the presidency in the history of the United States. Certainly, the Senator wishes the voters would consider making history.
Jim Webb—“Invisible”
“I just wanna show you, she don’t even know you, she’s never gonna love you like I want to.”
Does “she” refer to Hillary Clinton; does “you” refer to the voter? Former Senator and Secretary of the Navy Jim Webb (D-Va.) is the only Democrat so far to launch an exploratory committee for a 2016 campaign, likely because he does not have the same national name recognition as any of the other potential Democratic candidates. His candidacy has been compared to Barack Obama’s 2008 candidacy—a little known Democrat challenging the powerful Clinton machine. “But you just see right through me. If you only knew me, we could be a beautiful, miracle, unbelievable instead of just invisible.” As a former Institute of Politics fellow, Webb may have the Harvard vote. However, on most of the country’s radar he is invisible. “All I think about is how to make you think of me and everything that we could be.” Expect Webb to spend the next few months expanding his brand and thinking long and hard on how to make voters consider him in 2016.
REPUBLICANS
Jeb Bush—“Enchanted”
“Please don’t be in love with someone else. Please don’t have somebody waiting on you”
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is already enchanted with the idea of a third President Bush. Bush has outpaced the potentially large Republican field by launching an exploratory committee, resigning from company executive boards, and creating a new PAC. He clearly already hopes that the GOP is not in love with somebody else. He has already garnered support and donations from Republicans donors who hope he can take the White House back for the party. It seems as though he is “praying that this was the very first page not where the story line ends,” given how much he has invested into the campaign already. Expect the “wonderstruck” Bush to make a run in 2016.
Mitt Romney—“Shake It Off”
“Just think while you’ve been getting down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world, you could’ve been getting down to this sick beat.”
Mitt Romney might be America’s sick beat. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many pointed to the fact that Romney asserted in the presidential debates that Russia is our number one geopolitical foe, an assertion President Obama discredited in the debate. The former Massachusetts governor lost his second presidential campaign to President Obama in 2012, but has recently and rapidly created speculation that he has shaken off the losses and is ready for a third consecutive presidential campaign. Romney has a strong donor base, unparalleled name recognition, and an experienced campaign staff. He let the haters “hate, hate, hate, hate, hate,” in 2008 and 2012, but he is showing signs that he is ready to “shake, shake, shake” with Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) again in 2016.
Ted Cruz—“Speak Now”
“‘Speak now or forever hold your peace.’ There’s the silence, there’s my last chance, I stand up with shaky hands, all eyes on me … Your time is running out and they said speak now.”
So, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) spoke. For 21 hours. Through his filibuster against the Affordable Care Act, he has obtained a reputation as the outspoken leader of various groups on the right. He has often spoken up in criticism against President Obama and has become a vocal champion for the Republican Party’s Tea Party faction. After taking a jab at the more moderate candidates by saying that the nomination will not go through “the mushy middle,” he will certainly push the Republican primary to the right. He has not publically decided whether he will run in 2016, but he is expected to be the Tea Party candidate.
Marco Rubio—“You Belong With Me”
“Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.”
Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) potential candidacy should have Republicans ecstatic. A young, charismatic Latino with a strong attachment to the Republican establishment, Rubio seems like the most electable candidate in the field. He recently released his book, American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone, and claims that he will enter the race if he believes that no other candidate has better economic proposals. He differs from other candidates in that he is more of a war hawk, and he has openly criticized President Obama’s decision to open up economic relations with Cuba. Further, some believe that he will fail to take sway Tea Party members away from Senator Cruz and establishment Republicans away from Bush, Christie, and Romney. Seemingly in-between Tea Party and the establishment Republicans, Rubio must wonder why the party as a whole cannot see that it belongs with him.
Chris Christie—“Innocent”
“You’re still an innocent.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is reportedly preparing to set up a leadership PAC for a 2016 presidential campaign. However, much of his early campaigning must center around damage control. Christie received enormous national coverage in 2013 for all the wrong reasons. The “Bridgegate” scandal in New Jersey has left Christie with the reputation of leader who believes “the ends justify the means.” Christie has denied involvement and has cooperated with federal investigators, but the fallout still haunts his reputation. Christie’s presidential aspirations depend on Taylor’s belief that “minds change like the weather” and that “today is never too late to be brand new.” Besides, in politics, “everyone of us has messed up too.”
Rand Paul—”Fearless“
“You take my hand and drag me head first—fearless.”
Love him or hate him, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) leads with conviction and without fear. He is a unique candidate, as he falls back on many libertarian principles and often disagrees with establishment Republicans. He wants to broaden the Republican base, and to do so he is not afraid to speak his mind. Unlike other Republicans, he approved of President Obama’s decision to begin normalizing relations with Cuba. In an interview, he spoke candidly and honestly on his beliefs on abortion, angering some conservatives with his seeming apathy. In 2013, he gave a speech at Howard University as part of an effort to expand the message of Republicans to African-Americans and other minority groups. Senator Paul is not afraid to speak his mind and, consequently, strikes fear in other candidates.
Mike Huckabee—“I Knew You Were Trouble”
“I knew you were trouble when you walked in.”
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has expressed interest in running again for the Republican nomination. The Republican Party should expect trouble when he walks into the race. Republicans will need to garner support from independents in the general election and he will have trouble doing so. In his latest book God, Guns, Grits and Gravy, Huckabee calls Beyonce’s music “obnoxious and toxic mental poison.” Additionally, he accuses rapper Jay-Z of “exploiting his wife,” Beyonce, like a “pimp.” Huckabee’s strong rhetoric and far right positions will certainly alienate many moderates and certainly not push the Republican nominee “to the left, to the left.”
Images Source: Marcin Wichary/Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia