Presidential Primaries 2016

[Spindrift]

I know it's early, but it may be time to start talking about who gets the first "dot" indicator that they're running. R. Paul is inching closer to explicitly signaling his intent to run in 2016. I would normally await an announcement of intent to set up an exploratory committee as the threshold for getting the dot. But the rules may be different this time around.

Opinions?

For reference: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/rand-paul-seriously-weighing-2016-bid-88611.html

At this point if anyone is a lock to run I think it's R. Paul the lesser, especially after CPAC. There's even a chance he could get the nomination.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

I know it's early, but it may be time to start talking about who gets the first "dot" indicator that they're running. R. Paul is inching closer to explicitly signaling his intent to run in 2016. I would normally await an announcement of intent to set up an exploratory committee as the threshold for getting the dot. But the rules may be different this time around.

Opinions?

I'd say you should stick to the same standards. We're only 2 months into Obama's second term, and we're 3 yrs and 7 months away from Election Day for an office with a 4 year term.

Too early.

 

[SezMe]

I'm in Joe's camp.

 

[Olowkow]

Jeb Bush's clarity of thought, critical thinking and powers of reasoning are sure to win the hearts and minds of many spin loving conservatives.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) had some unusual praise for his brother George, commending the former president for "not having an opinion" over the last four years.
"He is like the most focused, disciplined guy. To imagine being a former president and not having an opinion on anything over the last four years, really?" Bush said during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. "I mean, to have that discipline, to be respectful of the president that hasn't been as respectful of him as he should have been? Man. I could have never done that."

This is what we need in an executive. An unabashed ability to insult the collective intelligence of an entire country. Jeb forgot one opinion though during the campaign: George W. did manage his elevator interview, "I'm for Romney."

 

[Puppycow]

Sheesh. Like I said, interesting!

What the hell, I'm just going to put this out there:

Two predictions

1) Hillary will run.
2) Hillary will win.

You heard it here first!

 

[Puppycow]

Mayor of the United States of Dishevelment? Win/win for Londoners.

Say what you will about Boris, he's still one of the top two all-time mayors of greater London.

 

[Puppycow]

I'm in Joe's camp.

Joementum??? We don't even know if the vice president is going to be running!!1!

 

[Spindrift]

What the hell, I'm just going to put this out there:

Two predictions

1) Hillary will run.
2) Hillary will win.

You heard it here first!

Two predictions

1) Hillary will not get the nomination.
2) Hillary will not get the nomination.

You heard it here first, after that other first.

 

[Puppycow]

Two predictions

1) Hillary will not get the nomination.
2) Hillary will not get the nomination.

You heard it here first, after that other first.

Ooh, a skeptic already? I'm standing by my prediction.
Care to make a friendly wager?

Avatars for a month?

 

[Spindrift]

Ooh, a skeptic already? I'm standing by my prediction.
Care to make a friendly wager?

Avatars for a month?

Sure. And I'll even give you an out to make it fair.
If Hillary dies or is physically or mentally incapacitated between now and the 2016 Democratic convention the bet is off.

 

[Puppycow]

Sure. And I'll even give you an out to make it fair.
If Hillary dies or is physically or mentally incapacitated between now and the 2016 Democratic convention the bet is off.

Done! I considered that possibility but it seemed sort of unlikely to me so I wasn't going to bring it up. If elected I believe that she would be the third eldest president elected to a first term, after Reagan and Harrison. So her age would not be unprecedented. Besides, women have longer life expectancies than men.

 

[Spindrift]

Done! I considered that possibility but it seemed sort of unlikely to me so I wasn't going to bring it up. If elected I believe that she would be the third eldest president elected to a first term, after Reagan and Harrison. So her age would not be unprecedented. Besides, women have longer life expectancies than men.

I just hope I'm around in 2016 and I'm a lot younger than Hillary.

 

[hgc]

This guy R. "T." Cruz is just straining at the bit to pick up his dot.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/347052/cruz-2016

Freshman senator Ted Cruz is considering a presidential run, according to his friends and confidants.

Cruz won’t talk about it publicly, and even privately he’s cagey about revealing too much of his thought process or intentions. But his interest is undeniable.
...

I'm wondering how many of his fellow Republican senators will not be endorsing him, and I'm thinking all of them. R. Paul might have, but he'll be running too.

 

[Tony]

This guy R. "T." Cruz is just straining at the bit to pick up his dot.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/347052/cruz-2016




I'm wondering how many of his fellow Republican senators will not be endorsing him, and I'm thinking all of them. R. Paul might have, but he'll be running too.

He wasn't born in the US. He is ineligible.

 

[hgc]

He wasn't born in the US. He is ineligible.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't know what you're talking about. Or show me where it says that the president must be born in the US.

 

[Tony]

Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't know what you're talking about. Or show me where it says that the president must be born in the US.

It is in the Constitution:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articl...stitution#Clause_5:_Qualifications_for_office

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

 

[hgc]

It is in the Constitution:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articl...stitution#Clause_5:_Qualifications_for_office

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Please note the difference between "natural-born citizen" and "born in the US." They are partially overlapping sets. You are a natural-born citizen if born outside the US to at least one US-citizen parent (and if conditions of length of parents' absence from the US is within parameters defined by statute).

R. "T." Cruz is natural born. If he weren't, he would either be a non-citizen, making him ineligible to vote and to hold federal office, or he would be a naturalized citizen and we would be able to find a record of his swearing in. Is either of those conditions present?

 

[Tony]

Please note the difference between "natural-born citizen" and "born in the US." They are partially overlapping sets. You are a natural-born citizen if born outside the US to at least one US-citizen parent (and if conditions of length of parents' absence from the US is within parameters defined by statute).

Point taken. But in Wing-Nut Theory, Cruz is as eligible for president as Obama would have been if he actually had been born in Kenya.

 

[elbe]

Point taken. But in Wing-Nut Theory, Cruz is as eligible for president as Obama would have been if he actually had been born in Kenya.

While not really relevant it's possible that his mother would not have been able to provide natural born status to him out of the country at her age.

 

[hgc]

Point taken. But in Wing-Nut Theory, Cruz is as eligible for president as Obama would have been if he actually had been born in Kenya.

I have a sneaking feeling that wingnuttia is going to forget all about this foreign-born nonsense in the case of our Calgary-born friend from Texas.