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Tag: 2016

  • Jeb Bush: Should He Run For President Or VP?

    Jeb Bush is famously silent on his intent to run for President. It is rumored that even his brother, George W. Bush, doesn’t know his leanings on the subject yet.

    But, while many have said that Jeb Bush would make a great Republican nominee, some say that he would make an even better candidate for Veep.

    Jeb Bush’s stance on immigration reform and education make him swing a little more moderate than some on the far right and Tea Partiers would like. However, should an extreme conservative (see Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, etc) gain the nominee, many think that Jeb Bush would be a great way to find balance and draw in more moderate Republican voters who otherwise wouldn’t touch a double Tea Party ticket.

    A prominent Republican consultant is quoted as saying,

    “Jeb would be perfectly acceptable to the base if the nominee is a proven conservative. If it’s [New Jersey Governor Chris] Christie or some moderate, Jeb would be a no go. On the other hand, if a right-wing nominee wanted to make a bow towards the middle and add some Hispanic vote appeal, Jeb would be a good choice.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iq98FwIiMI

    There is rampant speculation as election talk begins to fly, of course, but many maintain that Hillary Clinton could be the Democratic nominee. So, how would a Jeb Bush/Hillary Clinton face off go? Not that well, says a reporter from the National Journal.

    “Clinton’s challenge will be to maintain her above-water favorability ratings, despite being closely tied to an unpopular administration…. Many of these voters have become disillusioned under the Obama administration and have been trending away from the Democratic Party. The good news for Clinton is that they’re receptive to her candidacy. The bad news is that once she announces as a candidate, there’s a risk that her appeal fades away with these groups as Republican attacks begin…. As accomplished as Jeb Bush is, the notion that he’d be the party’s strongest contender against Clinton is fanciful—and that’s if he could even manage to get out of a primary. He hasn’t won an election since 2002, he’s proven slow to adapt to the new media landscape and navigating the waters between establishment leadership and the tea-party grassroots. Most importantly, his last name carries significant baggage.”

    It is rumored that Jeb’s wife, Columba doesn’t want him running for president because of the time and incredible stress involved. But, Jeb Bush’s mama thinks he’d be great in office.

    “I just don’t understand it. And maybe Jeb’s given all he should give, because he’s worked awfully hard for a long time. But he is the best qualified person in the country, there’s no question about it.”

    Could a run for VP make the most sense to satisfy Jeb Bush’s diligent commitment to serving his country as well as his wife’s wishes that he not go overboard and become a slave to his campaign?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Monica Lewinsky: A Political Card 20 Years Later

    Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton are in the news! No, this isn’t a 90s flashback.

    Thanks to Rand Paul, their shenanigens really are back in the headlines. In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, he declared that Hillary’s possible occupation of the White House in 2016 would give ol’ Bill a means to take up his old rascally ways.

    This was in agreement with Sen. Paul’s wife, Kelley, who is quoted in an interview with Vogue, as saying:

    “Bill Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky should complicate his return to the White House, even as first spouse. I would say his behavior was predatory, offensive to women.”

    He also said that electing Hillary would basically nullify The Left’s claim that Republicans are waging a so-called “War on Women”.

    “One of the workplace laws and rules that I think are good is that bosses should not prey on young interns in their office. And I think really the media seems to have given President Clinton a pass on this. He took advantage of a girl that was 20 years old and an intern in his office. There is no excuse for that, and that is predatory behavior….. Then they (the Democrats) have the gall to stand up and say, ‘Republicans are having a war on women.’ ”

    He then added, “It’s not Hillary’s fault, but it is a factor in judging Bill Clinton in history.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udIAtACo1HY

    He also stated, “in my state, you know, people tend to sort of frown upon that. You know, if there were someone in my community who did that, they would be socially — we would dissociate from somebody who would take advantage of a young women in the workplace.”

    Paul, a likely frontrunner for the GOP nomination for President in 2016, was quicky refuted in his claim that media gave Bill a pass when it came to coverage of the scandal in the 90s.

    Senate Majority Whip Sen Dick Durbin swiftly rebutted that claim and addressed the fact that we all remember Bill Clinton’s sexual behavior being “litigated in the public square for over a decade” and the Lewinsky situation is over and done with. He said America has shifted their focus to other matters.

    This is true. Monica Lewinsky-type scandals and Bill’s wiley ways are really the least of our concerns if Hillary wins.

    “Let’s judge Hillary Clinton based on her talents and her vision of America should she choose to run for president,” Durbin said.

    That’s what we should be concerned about.

    image via youtube

  • Scott Walker: 2016 Candidate Should Be an Outsider

    Scott Walker made a surprise statement on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week”, according to the Huffington Post. In his opinion, he says that the next Republican presidential nominee needs to be an outsider, meaning a governor or former governor with a successful track record in their state. Like himself, of course.

    Well, if he is right, that would rule out some Tea Party favorites, like Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.), all of whom are considered very likely to seek their party’s nomination in 2016. Cruz is a Tea Party icon, and highly spoken of by the likes of Sarah Palin and other conservatives who might disagree, and Rand Paul is a huge favorite among Ron Paul fans and general lovers of the constitution.

    Walker is considered one of the greatest enemies of the “Occupy” movement from three years ago that saw days, sometimes weeks and months, of protests all over the country.

    He even had to use a secret tunnel to go to and from work during the tumultuous times. He and his family were the recipients of death threats. But now he’s turning his attention to the 2016 ballots and what’s next for the country. About the nominee, he said,

    “I think it’s got to be an outsider. I think both the presidential and the vice presidential nominee should either be a former or current governor — people who have done successful things in their states, who have taken on big reforms, who are ready to move America forward.”

    ABC’s Jonathan Karl asked him about Paul Ryan, Walker’s Wisconsin colleague and former vice-presidential candidate to Mitt Romney. “I love Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan, if he had a fan club, I’d be the president of that,” Walker said. He then added that, unfortunately, Ryan also wouldn’t meet his criteria for an ideal candidate.

    According to ABC, he said the reason for his harsh criteria is the misguided efforts of Republicans in the government shutdown debacle last month. When asked if he thought it was a mistake, he said, “I think so.”

    He observed that Republicans at the state level are much more willing to compromise to make things happen.

    “Republicans, at the state level, are showing we’re much more optimistic, we’re speaking in terms that are much more relevant to where real voters are at,” he said.

    Some Republicans and Independents may not see this as a good thing, however. Tea Party members and the conservative Right have spent a considerable amount of time and money supporting those that held their ground in Washington during the shutdown.

    Is this a ploy by Walker to make room for his own name on the upcoming nomination? When asked if he would run himself, he said, “I don’t rule anything out.”

    Sounds sneaky to me…

    image via youtube

  • Mitt Romney: GOP Hopefuls Fish for the Money Machine

    An AP story out of Boston yesterday morning is getting some traction: apparently, some of the 2016 Republican potentials with their sights on the White House are trying to quietly take advantage of Mitt Romney’s political operatives, in particular his financial advisers.

    Even though the election is three years out, in a world with a 24-hour news cycle and campaigns that last upwards of 80 weeks, it’s never too early to start the campaigning. Romney’s financial network was able to rapidly generate donor dollars that feed the political machine, and no matter what you think of Romney’s politics, everyone must admit that the man knew how to rake in the dollars, and there was a time during the 2012 presidential race that the Romney campaign outspent the Obama campaign.

    Romney’s finance chairman, Spencer Zwick, said that during the failed candidate’s races “We built an interesting network of people. A lot of them would be inclined to get involved again… I would love to be heavily involved.” Romney himself did not suggest many of the GOP hopefuls would get the chance he did; in his own words, merely one “or perhaps two” of the potentials has a shot at the White House.

    Interviews with over a dozen senior donors conducted by the AP have suggested that those who assisted Romney to generate millions of campaign dollars are politically pragmatic when compared to the recent Republican offerings, meaning they would not respond as positively to rigid and inflexible conservatism. That does not mean donors have been unwilling to throw their hats into the ring; on the contrary, Charles Spies (Mitt Romney’s personal Super-PAC heavyweight) has been courted by several Republican hopefuls. Although they were mute as to which ones, the AP’s interviews suggested that the donors would stay away from extreme conservative views (like those of Texas Senator Ted Cruz) or unfavorable press (like that which follows Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who has his own watchdog website).

    At least half a dozen Republican leaders will be weighing their chances at a presidential nomination. A September 23 fundraiser to be held at the home of Romney donor Woody Johnson (who owns the New York Jets) will include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan.

    Although nobody knows for sure just how much influence Romney continues to exert over his extensive donor network, Romney has called for his party to “stay smart” and nominate candidates who can win. At a New Hampshire Republican Party fundraiser, he said that “My guess is that every one of the contenders would be better than whoever the Democrats put up.”

    [Image via a YouTube video about the Romney 2012 campaign’s cash advantage]

  • Bentley SUV To Go On Sale In 2016

    Bentley announced today that they have been given the go-ahead to start working on the 2016 SUV. The Volkswagen AG subsidiary presented the concept on a new, luxurious SUV at last year’s Geneva Auto Show.

    The SUV will be assembled in Bentley’s main factory in Crewe, England. Bentley President, Christophe Georges, has promised that the new SUV “will be the most luxurious and most powerful SUV on the market”. It is expected that the company will invest over 1.2 billion dollars on the SUV within the next three years and will lead to the opening of 1,000 new jobs.

    Although the idea received some harsh critiques, it is believed that the 2016 SUV will be the best-selling Bentley ever. Martin Winterkorn, the Volkswagen Group CEO stated during the announcement today,“Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to the brand’s first SUV. Together we will make this new Bentley another true Bentley–powerful, exclusive and successful.”

    A sketch of the SUV was released today. The vehicle will be based on the EXP 9 F concept presented at the Geneva motor show last year. There will, however be changes made from the EXP 9 F design.

    Bentley spokesperson, Graeme Russell, made a statement saying, “We believe that this car can create a niche for itself within the SUV market in a similar manner to the way the original Continental GT created a market for itself when it launched. Given the impact that had on Bentley sales, taking the company to over 10,000 units in 2007, I think it is fair to say that there is a level of experience both within Bentley and within the VW Group that could well see the SUV model contribute its fair share of the global sales aspirations of 15,000 vehicles per annum.” Bentley is hoping and planning on selling 3,000 SUVs their first year.

  • Ted Nugent 2016: Rocker for President?

    Ted Nugent, who’s made something of a late career out of serially threatening to run for elected office (see: Michigan governorship 2006, 2010), is thinking about the big prize.

    “Hi, I’m Ted Nugent. I have nine children from seven women, and I’m running for President,” he recently told the Washington Post.

    Okay, so he’s probably not serious. But he’s had quite a career in politics, despite his lack of elected office. An outspoken pro-gun advocate, he’s been on the board of the National Rifle Association since 1995. And his remarks during the 2012 election were sufficient to warrant a Secret Service investigation (he said that NRA members need to “ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November”).

    “Things are just so wrong in the country now,” Nugent said in his Post interview. “And I know that my answers would make things wonderful, unless you just refuse to produce, and then I’d recommend that you move to Canada. Or Illinois.”

    According to Nugent’s most recent wife, Shemane, “this time he seems more serious. People are constantly asking him to run.”

    Prior to entering politics, Nugent was apparently some sort of musician. Best known for the song “Cat Scratch Fever,” he has released 34 albums and sold a total of 30 million records. He has been touring each year since 1967.

    Nugent became more politically active in the early 1990s. He’s written for more than 20 publications and has published three books, including “God, Guns and Rock ‘n’ Roll” in 2002. In addition to his pro-gun stances, he’s also advocated for anti-gun and anti-alcohol causes. He is a national spokesperson for Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and encourages the “natural highs” of an outdoor lifestyle.

    Now to find a running mate . . . We can only hope that Alice Cooper is sitting by the phone.