The 2016 presidential race (former: The race to the 2016 presidential race)

**Condottiere 40K** · March 22, 2015, 10:31 PM

8712
He might survive the primaries, but most likely he could be a candidate for the Cheney slot.

**Sphere** · March 22, 2015, 11:38 PM

Walker is going to be the Republican VP candidate.

**Dr Zoidberg** · March 23, 2015, 01:20 AM

...he is also born in Canada. but because of dual citizenship at birth..

But yet the current guy who was born in a US State gets questions about his legitimacy. Sigh.

**alhoon** · March 23, 2015, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by snuggans

Ted Cruz is the first to formally declare his candidacy.

http://news.yahoo.com/cruz-launches-...-election.html

Read about it there. I know nothing about him except that he had something to do with the government shut down.
But he certainly doesn't seem like someone I would trust.

I read his mother is from Cuba. He doesn't look Latin-American at all.

**athanaric** · March 23, 2015, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by alhoon

http://news.yahoo.com/cruz-launches-...-election.html

Read about it there. I know nothing about him except that he had something to do with the government shut down.
But he certainly doesn't seem like someone I would trust.

Better than Bush or Clinton... anyway, what's his trade, besides politics?

I read his mother is from Cuba. He doesn't look Latin-American at all.

Err, why? He does look Southern European. While most Latin Americans' appearance betrays (a varying degree of) Native American ancestry, they can come in all shapes and colours. There are ginger Brazilians, for instance. AFAIK most Cubans don't have Native American heritage (in stark contrast to, say, Central Americans from the mainland), so it's not surprising they tend to look like (Southern) Europeans or (sub-Saharan) Africans, or some mix between the two.

**Vanoi** · March 23, 2015, 08:37 AM

Ted Cruz is running now? Good, he can help implode the Republican party.

**snuggans** · March 23, 2015, 11:49 AM

"Imagine abolishing the IRS." - Ted Cruz

**Condottiere 40K** · March 23, 2015, 11:59 AM

9216
Imagine representing your State pro bono.

**James the Red** · March 23, 2015, 06:24 PM

The current president is a Democrat, and the pattern for Presidents is- 'Democrat, then Republican, then Democrat, then Republican...'. So the Democrats are at an inherent disadvantage, so I see a Republican victory next being very likely. I have a feeling that if Mike Huckabee runs, he will probably win the GOP primaries. I'm not saying that as somebody that supports Huckabee (I don't), but as someone that thinks that Huckabee is most likely to drum up support for himself out of all the republicans.

He stayed out of last election even though he had lots of support, so he doesn't have a failed run bringing him down. So yeah, I'm thinking Mike Huckabee has a really good chance at being the next President, if he runs, which I think he will.

**empr guy** · March 23, 2015, 06:43 PM

Isn't Huckabee some kind of religious nut? I really don't see him winning the nomination, pretty much any moderate who panders to the tea party should be able to beat him. Other then bush i'm drawing a blank but that actual campaign is pretty far away so it's hard to tell if the republicans will have an actual candidate. From what i've seen of him Huckabee would just be a free 4 year ticket to the democrats, almost no matter who they choose.

**alhoon** · March 23, 2015, 06:59 PM

Eh... moderate that panders to the TParty is not a moderate.

**James the Red** · March 23, 2015, 07:40 PM

Who are these moderate Republicans? Are they relatively apolitical folk who only pay attention to politics when its time to vote for president?

I see Huckabee getting a ton of support from the Tea party, the religious hard-right folk, and the 80 year olds, and thus winning the Primary, more than any other candidate.

And likely then changes how he talks a bit to appear more reasonable if he wins the primaries, because that's what they all would do, look like the most hard-right conservatives possible during the primaries and then market themselves differently once they win the party nomination.

**Condottiere 40K** · March 23, 2015, 07:48 PM

9866
In order to have a chance of victory, the GOP will have to arrange to remove Jon Stewart from the Daily Show.9883

**empr guy** · March 23, 2015, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by alhoon

Eh... moderate that panders to the TParty is not a moderate.

I just mean I think it will be easier for someone who is moderately right to gain the votes of the far right then the far right guy getting the moderate votes.

Originally Posted by James the Red

Who are these moderate Republicans? Are they relatively apolitical folk who only pay attention to politics when its time to vote for president?

I see Huckabee getting a ton of support from the Tea party, the religious hard-right folk, and the 80 year olds, and thus winning the Primary, more than any other candidate.

And likely then changes how he talks a bit to appear more reasonable if he wins the primaries, because that's what they all would do, look like the most hard-right conservatives possible during the primaries and then market themselves differently once they win the party nomination.

The election is a year away, theres plenty of time for people to join the race. I think (hope) the lack of an obvious candidate will open it up to people we aren't expecting. afaik the tea party overlaps quite a bit with the religious right and older crowds, since that group hasn't decided the last few elections I don't see it winning him anything (lip service to the tea party will encourage more people to vote against him)

**James the Red** · March 23, 2015, 08:13 PM

I would think the only candidate that excited a significant number of republicans last elections were the libertarians who voted for Ron Paul. The republicans voted for Romney not because they liked Romney, but because they were against Obama, and Romney was the only one with a shot.

If the Republicans get somebody they can be excited for, and the Democrats don't, than the Democrats almost certainly will lose. Now, who can a large number of Democrats get excited for? And which Republican asides from Ron Paul and Huckabee can a large number of Republicans get excited for?

**empr guy** · March 23, 2015, 08:42 PM

I cant say who the democrats will choose (probably Hilary but I havent paid much attention to it), but I'm having trouble seeing a large number of republicans get excited for Ron Paul or Huckabee when their previous campaign attempts have been more or less complete failures against the people like Romney who they apparently didn't like.

**Dr Zoidberg** · March 24, 2015, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by snuggans

"Imagine abolishing the IRS." - Ted Cruz

Without taxation, how does he believe he'll be able to fund that massive military Republican candidates get all hot and steamy about having?

**snuggans** · March 24, 2015, 02:29 AM

he said he wants a flat tax. the wealthy are going to be paying a lot less under Ted Cruz, i am not sure if some low income groups will be excluded from it or not but uh yeah that's going to do wonders for the budget. oh and then he will somehow collect all that tax, assess it and deal with evasion.. OH he's going to need something like a.. like a... a service that collects .... internal revenue .... or something

**tarvu** · March 24, 2015, 03:20 AM

Why are we talking like Ted Cruz is a serious contender. Sure he is the first to announce, but the guy has no chance even in the primaries he is Rick Perry/Herman Cain etc. Insane rhetoric bought and paid for by the Koch brothers in order to drag the party further to the right, but they are still going to run Bush or another (more) mainstream candidate. I doubt Cruz even makes it out of Iowa.

Clinton could lose to someone like Bush, even a GW Bush, but not Cruz even if by some miracle he got the nomination. Nothing would galvanize democrats and moderates more than a nutjob like this and the GOP/donors know that too.