Let's Talk 2016

Yes, I know, it's not even 2015 yet but you know that the race for the White House in 2016 is already starting to gear up.

On the Democratic side I do not believe that Hillary Clinton is going to get the nomination and I'm not even sure that she is going to run. As for Joe Biden, nominating him would be roughly equivalent of handing the family finances over to your drunken uncle.

I would like to see either Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts or Mario Cuomo of New York seriously consider a run but I'm not sure either is contemplating doing so. If I had my choice it would be Elizabeth Warren.

Of course the Republican side has been a lot scarier recently with the stable of crazies declaring for the nomination getting crazier and crazier each year.

For 2016 we will probably have Rick Santorum, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz making short runs outside the lunatic fringe with Mike Huckabee and Rand Paul staying just inside the fringe.

Bobby Jindel would like to be considered but given the mess that Louisiana is in I suspect that's more of a joke than anything even Lewis Black has come up with recently.

As for Rick Perry, he's almost as loony toons as Santorum.

Let's remember who really runs the Republican Party and they are not going to let the nomination go to someone that will virtually guarantee that not only will the Blue Wall remain intact but that it would possibly even expand.

The business elite rulers of the Republican Party are going to insure a candidate that will be competitive in the current collection of swing states and might even be able to loosen up a few Blue States at least so that the Democrats have to spend time and money there.

If nothing else they will bury a fringe candidate that looks like he is going to cause trouble in adverse advertising dollars.

So, who do you think is on the short list? I can think of three names and there might be others.

First is Jeb Bush.

How can the Republicans go wrong with a vintage Bush? JB has the experience having been governor of Florida, a big swing state that the GOP would love to have in its column.

Second is Chris Christie.

This is a bit of a risk. Christie tend to walk to the beat of his own drummer and could alienate some people with his manner. Another problem for Christie is that a poll, just after he won the governor's race in New Jersey, showed he would LOSE New Jersey to Hillary Clinton.

Third, we have an old favorite, Mitt Romney.

If the good old boys of the GOP could just pick the next president, I suspect that Mitt would be their boy. The problem is that Romney would still need to win a general election.