Hillary Clinton’s Announcement

Media Moguls as Presidential Candidates

In 1940, Frank Gannett of the Gannett Media Corporation decided that he would run for President as a Republican.  He did not receive the nomination, as he lost to Wendell Willkie for the nod.  Gannett’s campaign was not a forceful one, and it did not lead to more media leaders running for President.  With the talk that Donald Trump would seek the Republican nomination for 2016, it brings about a question:  Do you believe that a media figure could run for President and be accepted as a serious candidate?

Only Those Officially In…

This poll is only offering those candidates for President who as of Monday, April 6 have officially stated that they are running for the highest office.

A Republican Has Entered…

Freshman United States Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is set to announce his candidacy for the Presidency on March 23, making him the first Republican US Senator to announce for the position.

The Iowa Straw Poll Circus

The Republican Party holds what is called a straw poll in the summer before a Presidential election year.  This year’s Iowa Straw Poll will be held in August.  Iowa’s Presidential Caucus is held in January 2016.  In the last Iowa Straw Poll, held in August 2011, Presidential candidates from the GOP met with the party faithful and gauged where they stood in the state that holds the first caucus in the nation.  This non-binding vote gave then-Congresswoman Michele Bachmann the victory and some momentum for her Presidential bid.  The momentum was short-lived as her campaign foundered near the January 2012 election.  Recently, the folks at Real Clear Politics recently wrote about the significance of the Iowa Straw Poll.  Do you see it as a significant event?

For the RCP column, click here.

John Kerry for President?

In recent news, Secretary of State John Kerry has said that he has not ruled out a run for the Presidency in 2016.  His last attempt was in 2004 when he lost to President George W. Bush.  If he were to run, his greatest challenge would be the person he placed as Secretary, Hillary Clinton.  There have only been six Secrataries of State who have gone on to become President.  They are:

Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Martin Van Buren
James Buchanan 

That’s right.  The last one was Buchanan, who served as President from 1857 to 1861.

That leads me to this poll question.

 

 

Mitt Romney’s Departure

Why Polls Don’t Matter At This Point

The polls listed below should demonstrate to everyone why surveys regarding Presidential hopefuls mean little at this point.  For example, even though then-VP George Bush won his party’s nomination in 1988, Senator Howard Baker who was third in a 1987 poll never ended up running for President.  In 1999, Elizabeth Dole and former VP Dan Quayle dropped out of the running before the January 2000 Iowa Caucus.  The country never had a President Rudy Giuliani or a Republican nominee by the name of Giuliani.  Sarah Palin did not run in 2012.  Neither did Chris Christie nor Mitch Daniels nor George Pataki for that matter.  So why take a poll at this time?  Do they matter?  Do you see any of these candidates emerging as the front runner for the GOP nomination?

More Things Change…

In this clip from the January 11, 2015 edition of “Meet the Press”, a discussion is being held regarding the 2016 Presidential election.

Clinton and Bush and Romney

Why do Americans seem to gravitate to more familiar names for President rather than new up-and-coming individuals?

Will He or Won’t He?