Most Americans are still recovering from the 2012 presidential election, but a select few cannot get enough and are already looking forward to 2016. These updates are for that second group of devotees. There are still 1358 days until the 2016, but there has been a great deal of news on potential candidates from various outlets over the last 72 hours.
The Republican Potentials
- On ABC's "This Week" Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) said "I don't know" when asked whether he would run for president in 2016. Ryan was also careful to say, "I'm not foreclosing any opportunity."
- There have been two sings that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) will run in 2016. First, Rubio voted against the fiscal cliff deal. The deal was unpopular among many conservative voters who will be key in the 2016 Republican Primary. Secondly, Rubio is reportedly part of a key group of senators crafting an immigration reform package. The legislation is seen as part of an effort by Republicans to garner a greater percentage of the Hispanic vote in 2016.
However, Rubio's seemingly gold-plated path to the nomination had a bit of hiccup when he appeared nervous in his nationally televised response to President Obama's State of the Union address.
- Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) is considered the other prime Republican hopeful. Christie declined to run in 2012 despite repeated calls, but says he will be “more ready” for a possible run in 2016.
The Democrat Potentials
- The favorite for the Democrats is former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. According to the New York Post, a close friend and big political donor to the Bill and Hillary Clinton said that she was definitely running in 2016.
The latest news from Clinton herself came in her joint interview with President Obama on 60 Minutes on January 27, 2013. The interview further raised Clinton’s profile ahead of a potential 2016 run. In December of 2012 Clinton said that she “does not believe” she will run in 2016. However, Clinton has refused to definitively rule out a run, and said she is resigning her cabinet post to rest in the coming years. That rest could be in preparation for the grueling campaign trail in 2015 and 2016. In her interview last night, Clinton said it was too early to make any predictions about what she would do in 2016.
- The second leading contender for Democrats is Vice President Joe Biden. Like Clinton, Biden has not definitely ruled out a 2016 run. The Vice President played a prominent role in crafting the fiscal cliff compromise, and was busy meeting with Democratic Party leaders during the 2013 inauguration. POLITICO sources a number of Biden adviser who say Biden “wants to run, or at least be well positioned to run” in 2016.
- There are other names being mentioned for Democrats in 2016, but at this point all of them take a backseat to Clinton and Biden. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is a favorite of liberals, but it may be too soon for her to run for national office just two years after being elected to the Senate. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and former Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) have also been as potential 2016 candidates, but both lack the name recognition of Clinton and Biden.
The Polls
The most recent poll on the 2016 presidential election was released by Public Policy Polling on February 7, 2013. That poll found that Clinton had the support of 58 percent of Democratic voters nationally, with Vice President Joe Biden coming in a distant second at 19 percent support. Rubio led all GOP contenders with 22 percent support nationally, compared to 15 percent for Paul Ryan, 13 percent for Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, 11 percent for Mike Huckabee, 10 percent for Rand Paul, 4 percent for Bobby Jindal, and 3 percent for Rick Perry.
A survey from Public Policy Polling released on November 9, 2012 showed that Hillary Clinton was the overwhelming favorite of New Hampshire Democrats, with 60 percent favoring her if she ran in 2016. In second was Vice President Joe Biden with 10 percent. The same poll found Chris Christie favored by 21 percent of New Hampshire Republicans, compared to 14 percent of Marco Rubio, 12 percent for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 11 percent for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and 10 percent for Rep. Paul Ryan.
A POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground poll released in December 2012 found that Sen. Marco Rubio remains largely undefined with the public. The poll found 36 percent of Americans had still never heard of Rubio, and another 17 percent had no opinion of him. On the other hand, former Gov. Jeb Bush was dogged by his last name, with 39 percent viewing him favorably and 34 percent viewing him unfavorably before he even hints at beginning a national campaign.
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