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At least 154 weeks before the first presidential nominating contests of the 2016 election, news headlines offer a carnival of speculation about the pressing matter of who will next ascend to the White House when the not-yet-inaugurated president departs from D.C. in a mere 1,464 days.
Really? Really.
After the lengthy 2012 presidential campaign -- with its daily news cycles often accelerated by 140-character Twitter news parcels -- the forward-looking speculation fills a void for political professionals, pundits and news consumers uninterested in the machinations of ongoing congressional policy negotiations, experts note.
"Presidents become lame ducks very quickly," said Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College political scientist and media critic who writes for the Columbia Journalism Review. "There's a lot of legislative action now but it's often difficult to get much done in a second term, so attention tends to shift pretty quickly to succession."
And there's beginning to be some data to talk about.
Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton smiles as President Barack Obama mentions her name during a news conference with Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi after a meeting in in Yangon in this Nov. 19, 2012 file photograph.
It took just one month after the 2012 election for North Carolina-based polling outfit Public Policy Polling to test the favorability of 17 could-be presidential candidates, from the ubiquitous Clinton and Marco Rubio -- who lead the Democratic and Republican packs respectively -- to the nationally unknown governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer.
Related: GOP assesses path back to power
"There's a lot of people who just aren't that interested in fiscal cliff negotiations and that sort of thing, and they're still kind of winding down from the presidential race," said pollster Tom Jensen. "To some extent we're feeding the beast, and that's a role we're willing to fill."
Jensen pointed out that, while national polling this early in the presidential game isn't particularly useful in predicting the actual outcome of the years-away contest, his polling outfit is gradually building a useful record of how possible candidates' public images have changed over time.
A casual look back at early polling confirms that premature beauty contests between potential candidates -- if taken as mere snapshots and not as trends -- are most likely to be wistful or droll than visionary.
A Time poll taken in January 2007 showed a likely 2008 general election match-up between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani. (The latter ended up spending a whopping $48.8 million in his failed presidential bid, which ultimately won only one national delegate.) In February 2011, Gallup numbers showed a statistical tie for the GOP nomination between eventual nominee Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee. (Neither Palin nor Huckabee even entered the 2012 race.) As late as April of 2011, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed billionaire and noted Twitter mischief-maker Donald Trump tied for second place in the hypothetical Republican nomination race.
A single poll now isn't likely to be any more accurate by Election Day 2016, said Jensen, although it will provide a useful baseline to track the eventual nominees' ascension to the top of the heap.
"Clearly, we're not claiming that any of the polling we're doing right now is terribly predictive, because we don't even know who's going to run," Jensen said of early 2016 surveys. "But I think it's perfectly harmless to be accumulating this record. And if nothing else, people find it interesting."
Much of that interest focuses on Clinton, who emerged from a vitriolic 2008 primary against Barack Obama with her public image among Democrats somewhat remarkably unscathed. Her popularity outside the party has soared as well, hitting above the 50 percent mark with independents and at a quarter with Republicans in the latest NBC/WSJ poll. Unlike any of the other contenders -- other than possibly Vice President Joe Biden -- she also has nearly universal name recognition, making chatter easy and relatively low-risk for lovers of the horse race.
At the Clinton Foundation's Health Matters Conference in La Quinta, Calif., former President Bill Clinton talks about Hillary's future plans concerning 2016.
"By most accounts, Hillary Clinton would be the preemptive savior on the Democratic side, and she has this unbelievably complex and interesting political history," said Nyhan. "It's hard for people to avoid getting into that, as premature as it may be. She's catnip to the media."
And Clinton is in the news, with recent health troubles and the bubbling controversy over the September consulate attack in Benghazi giving commentators plenty of pegs to discuss the political future of the outgoing secretary of state. It doesn't hurt that popular former President Bill Clinton has a penchant for appearing at high-profile events; he recently popped up at the Golden Globes.
There's also Biden. A visible right-hand man to the president, Biden has two presidential runs under his belt and can boast negotiating credentials over the fiscal cliff and gun control issues in recent months. It's not clear yet that Biden, who will be 73 in November 2016, will definitely make a run for the office that's eluded him during his long political career, but his penchant for colorful language (some would say 'gaffes') makes him constant headline-fodder at least until he makes a public indication of whether or not he may run.
Another reason for the 2016 talk may be that the people most likely to be speculating about the next presidential campaign are those most likely to spend, gamble, or make money on it.
The 2012 campaign blew out previous records for spending, with each side raising over a billion dollars. Outside groups spent well over $500 million to influence the results, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Potential consultants, donors and operatives have a vested interest in mapping out the maze of political dominoes that, in their various patterns, determine which standard-bearers are the best bets for paychecks and payoffs.
And that's nothing new. Early pre-election coalition-building dates back far into the nation's history, notes Hans Noel, a professor of government at Georgetown University and an expert on political primaries. He notes that early behind-the-scenes planning was already a well-established part of the political process by the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose emissaries traveled across the country with records of Roosevelt's speeches to play for potential supporters.
"Early polls really have no meaning at all at this point, but they're going to drive media coverage of this conversation," Noel said. "The media conversation and the insider conversation overlap but they are separate. And the insider conversation is probably more predictive and meaningful."
Predictive or not, haters will have to steel themselves for three more years of the media conversation in an environment where it's never too early for the kind of low-risk predictions that the chattering class really loves.
Because at the end of the day, no matter who the nominees are, it's all going to come down to turnout.
Leave a Comment:
Dear Mr. President,
You got your Tax Increase now it is time for you to do some CUTTING…..
Yes, we know it is CONGRESSES job to send you the Budget and Your job to Approve or Disapprove it….. Since Congress is unable to do its job it is up to you as our Leader to step forward and get the job done…..
Dear Congress,
Let's stop the bad practices from the last 4 years.
1. Filibusters have to be continuous
2. Majority must be present to be in session
3. No more Super Majority
4. No more Pork added to Bills
Yes, cuts are in order. However before you touch your so called entitlement programs lets address some additional costs.....
1. Quit the PORK
2. Runaway spending by Home Land Security
3. Runaway cost of Public Sector Workers
4. Runaway costs of Foreign Aid
5. Runaway cost of Military Hardware
6. Runaway cost of CONGRESS
7. Runaway cost of EPA
8. Runaway cost of TSA
When this is done then we can talk about Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Welfare, and unemployment…..
Cut military spending...
What's the difference between the capacity of destroying the world 100 times and destroying it 101 times?
I think military spending should be reduced to the level that we only need the capacity enough to destroy the world 2 times.
Well, many politicians (Bill Clinton included) and scholars have long recommended to reveal or revise the 22nd Amendment which has been considered outdated. Actually many conservatives argued this too ... when Reagan was on his way out in 1988-89.
.
Obama 2016 !!!!!!!!!!!!!
correction to 1.2 -
Well, many politicians (Bill Clinton included) and scholars have long recommended to
revealrepeal or revise the 22nd Amendment which has been considered outdated..
P.S.: Actually some Americans also supported the repeal when Clinton was on his way out in 1999-2000.
PLEASE don't start the 2016 campaign garbage now. Give me a break. PLEASE.
I agree, Obama got his tax hikes. Now its time to make good on his promise of spending cuts.
JK, the only campaigning that should be done right now is on the part of every citizen to get the two constitutional amendments at www.faircampaignreform.us passed before we begin the 2014/16 nightmares. If you haven't gotten involved yet, why not? We have been working on this since July 2010 here on Newsvine. This has been my repeated posting on the matter:
There is only one way to end the "money buying elections" issue and I've been trying to get everyone of you involved for over two years. If you haven't gone to www.faircampaignreform.us yet and gotten involved in the Popular Amendment Movement, why not? This is the ONLY way that the American citizens can ever take back the power of our electoral system. Congress will never do anything that will get past the current activist conservative SCOTUS to correct the problem. It is time to take the implied method that our founding fathers gave us, per James Wilson: http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html
Popular Amendment
One other way of amendment is also not mentioned in the Constitution, and, because it has never been used, is lost on many students of the Constitution. Framer James Wilson, however, endorsed popular amendment, and the topic is examined at some length in Akhil Reed Amar's book, The Constitution: A Biography.
The notion of popular amendment comes from the conceptual framework of the Constitution. Its power derives from the people; it was adopted by the people; it functions at the behest of and for the benefit of the people. Given all this, if the people, as a whole, somehow demanded a change to the Constitution, should not the people be allowed to make such a change? As Wilson noted in 1787, "... the people may change the constitutions whenever and however they please. This is a right of which no positive institution can ever deprive them."
It makes sense - if the people demand a change, it should be made. The change may not be the will of the Congress, nor of the states, so the two enumerated methods of amendment might not be practical, for they rely on these institutions. The real issue is not in the conceptual. It is a reality that if the people do not support the Constitution in its present form, it cannot survive. The real issue is in the practical. Since there is no process specified, what would the process be? There are no national elections today - even elections for the presidency are local. There is no precedent for a national referendum. It is easy to say that the Constitution can be changed by the people in any way the people wish. Actually making the change is another story altogether.
Suffice it to say, for now, that the notion of popular amendment makes perfect sense in the constitutional framework, even though the details of effecting popular amendment could be impossible to resolve.
It was upon this basis that I and a group of other Newsvine posters developed these two amendment proposals in July/August 2010 when we saw what Citizens United was leading to in the Congressional and state-wide races. I then paid to host the website for promoting the Popular Amendment Movement effort. Keeping the website running is my contribution to the cause, since I live in the US Virgin Islands where we have NO vote for president, NO representation in the Senate, and NO VOTE on the floor of the House (only a vote in whatever committee(s) our Delegate to Congress can be assigned to.) Yet our entire governance is determined by Congress through the Organic Act. We are basically second class citizens in the US territories. I lost my voice in government when I chose to move from OH to St. Croix in 1995 (for better weather.) PAM is a totally grassroots organization. We do not solicit any contributions and we have no formal organization. The website is the basic "organization." Download the petitions below from the site, sign them, circulate them among family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Email to everyone you know. Help form a local grassroots movement to collect the signatures and petitions, then work with other communities to form county/regional groups and a state-wide movement. Check with your Secretary of State to determine how many valid signatures would be required for YOUR state to call for the constitutional convention that would be required to pass these amendments. BE SURE TO MAKE COPIES OF EVERY PETITION AND HAVE THEM "DATE STAMPED" when you file the original petitions so that you have a record of what signatures were filed and when. That is your protection to make sure that your Secretary of State can't deny you your rights under the Constitution. OFA and all other grassroots groups should have been assisting in this effort for the past two years. It is not too late to get this done before the 2014/16 election cycle.
Petition for US Constitutional Amendment For Election Reform
We, the undersigned US citizens, duly registered voters in our respective states/territories, do hereby petition for our state to approve the following amendment to the United States Constitution by the method noted below.
Election Reform:
1. Abolish the Electoral College (Repeal Amendment 12)
2. ONE NATIONAL primary date to be held on the Tuesday eight (8) weeks prior to the General Election day for Congressional offices and for the President. Candidate petitions must be filed with the local/state elections boards 60 days prior to the Primary Election date. Federal election petitions shall be uniform in every state and shall include a “contract with the voters” that spells out clearly what that candidate stands for on all issues that they may have to address in elected office. They shall be held accountable in court for breach of that contract if elected and any/all terms are not met.
3. NO campaigning allowed for any elective federal office more than 60 days prior to the National Primary Date.
4. NO campaign contribution shall be donated to any candidate of more than $200 from an individual or $500 maximum from a family (spouses/children living in the same household.) No donations shall be made to a candidate more than sixty days prior to the primary date. No candidate shall contribute from their own funds more than 60% of the total donations from other private individuals.
5. NO campaign contribution from any PAC, corporation, union, non-profit organization, special interest group, etc. shall be allowed for any elected federal office.
6. NO third party campaigning (separate PAC ads, corporate ads, etc.) for/against any candidate shall be allowed at any time during or before the election season.
7. NO party conventions shall be held to select the presidential candidates. The selection must be done at the ballot box in the primary election.
8. The One Man/One Vote Supreme Court ruling shall be enforced by this Amendment, namely that NO federal candidate selection shall be by any means other than the ballot box on Primary/General Election Dates.
9. National Party Organizations shall NOT raise money for or donate to specific candidates of their party prior to the dates outlined above.
10. PAC’s shall NOT be granted tax-exempt status by the IRS, and any non-profit organization who uses their funding for political purposes shall lose their tax-exempt status.
11. All lobbyists shall be outlawed from influencing Congress at all times.
This amendment shall be approved ONLY by State Constitutional Conventions to be called within 90 days of this petition being submmitted to a state’s Secretary of State. A minimum of 25% of the registered voters in each state shall be required to further this petition to the respective Secretary of State.
Name Signature State Address
Petition for US Constitutional Amendment For Congressional Term Limits
We, the undersigned US citizens, duly registered voters in our respective states/territories, do hereby petition for our state to approve the following amendment to the United States Constitution by the method noted below.
Term Limits for Congress:
1. Representatives to Congress shall serve no more than two two-year terms in the House.
2. Senators shall be elected to no more than two six year terms in the Senate.
3. No elected official shall serve more than six terms in office in any combined elected offices (House/Senate/Presidency.)
This amendment shall be approved ONLY by State Constitutional Conventions to be called within 90 days of this petition being submmitted to a state’s Secretary of State. A minimum of 25% of the registered voters in each state shall be required to further this petition to the respective Secretary of State.
Name Signature State Address
Pigotry,
really Bill Clinton the one that was being impeached. You think Americans wanted to forget the 22 amendment for him..
LOL
And now you want it for this dictator Obama. You scare me every day....
Just think of all the money that can be made taxing imports from countries which exploit cheap labor. When corporations realize that they can no longer profit from sending US jobs over to these countries, then jobs will return back to the USA. Following that, the American economy will grow and become strong once more.
Illegal under International law, which Progressives forced upon America. Try learning something.
More campaigning....well it beats the issues...and when your clueless you have to fall back on what you know. it would appear all he needs to run the country is a blank check and a executive order pen....oh my mistake its NOW a executive "action" pen. By calling it an "action" it doesn't even have to be presented to the floor before he pens it into law, like the 23 he signed yesterday that have never been published..... Its good to be KING.
Repealing the 22nd amendment so that Obama can join the illustrious ranks of folks like Chavez, Qaddaffi, Mubarak, Saddam, Hitler, and so on? I don't think even he would appreciate the dubious honor of presiding over the country when the 22nd amendment was repealed. Repealing that amendment would be as ridiculous and as big of a mistake as repealing the 14th amendment. History has shown that it is a mistake to give a single governing person unlimited terms in power. You will not find a single instance where it has ever turned out well.
The EPA is a seperate entity.
@la scootertramp, president Obama cannot write law with executive orders, He can only act within the bounds of laws already passed by congress. He also doesnt spend the money, That also comes from congress, so there is where your complaints should start.
OHGuy, quit making sense, these threads for ranting, raving, name calling and all sorts of juvenile behavior, how dare you!
Hey, rwdn's he won the election. Keep it up and the democrats will win the congress even with all the gerrymandering.
Actually, it is the Executive Branch that spends the bulk of the funds through the administration of the programs/agencies that oversee the spending... that's how the Executive Branch is able to not enforce laws passed by Congress... they don't spend any money enforcing the law or executing the programs.
Unfortunately, the only thing politicians know how to do well is campaign. That's why term limits should be imposed on both houses of congress. Our country does not need life-long positions for these "let me figure out how to use your money" con artists. I know it would take a constitutional amendment, but so be it...
@lasertroll - Time to grow up and put your big boy pants on. Don't be scared that's just for cowards.
@Anilof - Repealing the 22nd amendment wouldn't give a free ticket to eternal power to anyone. With elections every four years surely term limits will be exercised by the voters. A single instance where its turned out well - I would submit Franklin Delano Roosevelt, elected 4 times and died in his fourth term, the ultimate term limiter, has with stood the test of time and been judged quite successful. I, personally don't favor the repeal of the 22nd amendment, 8 years is more than enough for any human being to contend with.
@cew, You need a civics lesson. All spending originates in congress
C'mon people....you know it's the Republicans turn to put a puppet in as the potus. It's ALL a big game and all 545 of THEM are laughing at us, especially those of you at this site everyday stroking each other (libs).
Get off the computer and go do something helpful for another human being instead of trying to act like you know whats going on in the world of politics. You're not fooling anyone but yourselves!
@unoitall - Welcome aboard troll! And you here because why? Can't be u no it all,
Four more years (of politicking starts now)... NOOOOOOooooooo!!!
CJ, actually, all spending originates with the initially proposed budget... paying for the programs the government has right now as well as those the Executive Branch wants to add, cut, expand, or reduce. That information is provided to the Congress by the Executive Branch... and why not, they are spending it and running the programs. They know what they need and want... Congress does not.
Once the proposed budget is presented to Congress, items are added, cut, or revised and authorized, or reauthorized by Congress (which it probably what you were referring to - Congress's control of the purse strings). But you have to have a starting point... that comes from the proposed budget provided by the Executive Branch.
Congress may authorize the money... but that doesn't mean it is going to be spent... Sometimes, it is even overspent, hence; deficit spending by the Executive Branch.
I think Spankey might have come back as unoitall. Up from the ground he arose and a mighty stench was his name....Tra-la-la. On second thought, it might be JoAnn...or maybe they are the same troll. I am just sayin...as the Spankster used to.
I would love to see Hillary seated behind her desk at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Why not, she's already done her share of lying, hiding, misdirection, deception and the list goes on. She could step right in Obamas shoes and we wouldn't even know the difference.
Just like every other politician on the planet.
Jack Nicholson wants to tell you (#1.2) that -
Sometimes politicians are not lying, they are just being diplomatic.... No leaders should reveal nuclear secrets, for example. Some situations are sensitive, you just can't tell literally what happened. There are so many situations, politicians can't be straightforward with you - such as Watergate, Iran-Contra, WMD.... or why there was impeacement of Clinton when Speaker Grinch wanted an 'open marriage' at the same time.
Ah, Uncle Jack, always good for a quote. Good on Piggy.
My 2016 Dream Team would be Hilary and Castro (the Mayor of San Antonio). Oh yeah!
That would be an ugly site, they would have to double the size of the seat in that chair along with reinforce the legs to keep it from collapsing.
Why would anyone want to see a lying old hag who admits to getting our Ambassado9r to Libya killed after Obama handed the country to Al Queda?
skibum it says it all inyour handle, The Republicans were given funds up front to make sure security was provided and they dropped the ball. You're just another Troll looking for your 60 seconds of fame, now you got it.
"The Republicans were given funds up front to make sure security was provided and they dropped the ball" Excuse me what administration are you talking about?
To Pigotry (comment 2.3),
Gingrich wanting an "open marriage" is not quite the same as a sitting president being impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice. I hope this concept isn't too difficult for you, a liberal retard, to grasp!
To #2.10
Clinton lied about WMD? I learned something today, thanks.
Pigotry (2.11),
With regard to WMD, he & his entire staff said that Iraq had WMD's, but that's not what I was talking about. The impeachment arose from the Lewinsky scandal and the Paula Jones lawsuit. It may be difficult for you libtards, but try to stay on subject.
FXSTC....AHAHAHAHA!! These turds are so gullible, ill-informed and easily distracted. It's great comedy reading their ignorant posts! They forget that THEY are the party that's disrespectful to women with their antics. Pathetic and embarrassing to be a liberal dem these days. The world is seeing this with every speech from their king barry, his staff of losers and followers!
So Republicans --- if you want to have a chance at winning in 2016, you may want to –
Stop badmouthing Hispanics.
Stop badmouthing blacks.
Stop badmouthing women.
Stop badmouthing young people.
Stop badmouthing college students.
Stop badmouthing anyone who works for the government at any level.
Stop badmouthing policemen.
Stop badmouthing firemen.
Stop badmouthing teachers.
Stop badmouthing everyone who lives in New England.
Stop badmouthing everyone who lives on the West coast.
Stop badmouthing union people.
Stop badmouthing anyone who draws a paycheck.
Stop badmouthing everyone on Social Security.
Stop badmouthing everyone on Medicare.
Stop badmouthing anyone who is not a fundamentalist Christian.
Dump Sarah Palin
Dump Michelle Bachmann
Dump Newt Gingrich
Dump the Donald
Dump Rick Perry
Stop believing Fox Noise.
Stop denying science.
Stop kissing Rush the junkie’s gigantic ass.
Aw, Jeez.....it's starting already? I'm still numb from the LAST one.
Come on now !!!
It will be so much fun watching the CLOWNS they present for our approval . True it will be a tough act follow after the last elections group.
Maybe Sarah and Michelle will throw in their hats!
Oh man, can't wait to see the pukebag clown show start up again. Wonder if one of the Paul's will try out, or maybe ol Rick S or Rick P, Newt, Cain, etc. They might need a bigger auto to haul those dumb f's around. Wonder how soon they will start picking up again their war on women?
Damyou,
Really? That's because we WON! My generation fought hard for woman's rights, and we won't let the extreme RWNJ's take those rights away!
WE WON! Get over it!
Jo-An (3.5),
Can you tell me what rights you fear would have been taken away, had a Repub been elected, besides post-natal abortion?
Well, gee, Rick Sanatorium doesn't even believe in "birth control" OR "education"...
He'd like to keep Women bare foot, pregnant and in the kitchen. Keep them too stupid to realize they have options!
Spoken like a true tea bagger!
Yes Jo-an...you have won. And your prize is A HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR WOMEN under Barry! CONGRATS!! Hope your welfare check gets you through the winter!
http://www.policymic.com/articles/18073/real-unemployment-rate-why-latest-jobs-numbers-will-convince-women-to-vote-for-romney
Spoken like a sore loser.
Jo-An (3.7)
Rick Santorum? He wasn't even in the election. Let me try to help you out, Mitt Romney was the repub candidate.
So you think that only tea baggers don't agree with killing a baby after it's been born?
Again, abortion aside, what rights do you fear would have been taken away had Mitt been elected?
FXSTC,
Followed by:
Now, are you following along?
We are discussing the next crop of unelectable losers that the GNOP may try to run...are you starting to understand?
I don't know anyone that agrees with killing a baby after it's been born.
Go take your meds, you make no sense!
What really ticks off the LWNJs is that the teaparty, a group of mainly housewives, in just a few years, got people elected to congress who are now exercising power. Something the LWNJs have not been able to do after many years of trying.
LWNJs against the teaparty. That is your real war on women.
Puke...
Where's your picture dogface? Still waiting...
At this point it really doesn't matter who takes over in 2016, it cannot get any worse than the smug, arrogant, liar in chief that we have now.
You left out the do nothing congress and spin doctors.
It is up to the head honcho to point the direction they want the country to go. It is congresses job to get us there. Remember it takes two to tango. Wright now our two are going in opposite directions.
Charlie-1915998
Your thinking of Bush. The one we have now makes him look like Albert Einstein.
Left always living in the past...zero ownership of the here and now.
Sad, really.
Yes Buttcrackee, you truely are a sad individual!!!
DF, you "truely" come up with that one all by yourself?
Obviously you are talking about Boehner since he assumes he is in charge and won the election for the Republicans. Get rid of him.
Politics is not entertainment. At least, it isn't supposed to be.
Too many people think of our govt as the world's biggest set for a soap opera.
Too many politicians act like they want an emmy.
Welcome to the New America, where nothing matters except ratings.
Good night and good luck. We all will need it soon.
Wouldn't it be More Productive if Our Elected Leaders Started Working Together as AMERICANS for AMERICANS and AMERICA, instead of just bickering, stalling and posturing for the next election as democrats and republicans! The American People have had it with this unproductive BS! The way that both parties having been operating for years just stinks! Neither party has really been looking out for the best interests of the US Citizens who elect them and who they're supposed to represent.
Both parties have sold out the bulk of the American citizens, who they're supposed to represent, by allowing the "out-sourcing" floodgates to open wider and wider without taking any sensible measures to stem the tide.
It shouldn't be all about Democrats or Republicans! It should be about Americans, especially our elected officials, doing the right thing for our country and its citizens. All the single-minded, left versus right, ideological one dimensional bull has got to go!
Both parties need to start working together and actually start doing something to fix the real problems in our country like "out-sourcing", illegal immigration, the out of control costs of health care insurance and our reliance on foreign fuel. If they don't start working together and actually start making progress by the next election, then American citizens should run a nation-wide campaign to vote out all incumbents regardless of party. Maybe then, they'll finally get the message.
Can anyone in their right mind see Joe Biden as POTUS? Hillary - you might have a chance at being the next POTUS - if only you would tell the TRUTH about what really happened in Benghazi.
@confused voter, she will tell the truth, but you pukebags won't believe her, so she might just as well spin a tale or two for the pukebags. Congress should have funded more security, but they didn't, so the lives of 4 people rest on their heads, not Hiliary's.
.........me thinks the lady doth protest too much...........Sally - go take your meds........then, go rub Hillary's head - I think it's hurt - AGAIN.
"Can anyone in their right mind see Joe Biden as POTUS?"
Well --- Joe Biden has been kicking Republican butts for most of the last 40 years. Republicans just love telling everybody how stupid they think he is but they don't seem to be smart enough to beat him in an election.
He's a BAFOON!!!!!!
He's a BAFOON!!!!!
HILLARY....2016!
It appears that you suffer from low self esteem.
Boss Hogg 2016
Boy! have we hit the bottom! Biteme! really, he was a loser back when, many times. Hillary, another loser with a ghost in the closet, too many ghosts! and the Republicans? who knows. But, for leadership in the last several years, and for corruption at all levels this country has hit a very low point. But, hey! our government reflects our society and that is where we get these losers, from the population, so we can only look at ourselves in the mirror and see ourselves.
You deadbeat righties can start planning for 2024, you'll be irrelevant until at least then.
deadbeat righties
That's really funny, since it is the majority of the Righties that pay the biggest portion of the bills. I do understand though, you don't want the Righties anywhere in the picture, you just want their money to play with. When the Lefturds spend us in to Greece, who is going to pay the bills?
Sorry Kevin, it's the democratic states that pay welfare to the republican ones. The democrats have been much more fiscally responsible than the republicans have for the past few decades. Like they say, "liberals are tax and spend, republicans are spend and spend."
And intentionally defaulting on the credit of the entire country Kevin? Impossible to be more of a deadbeat than that!
It appears as if Leroy is worried about losing his food stamps.
45% of Obama's votes came from people who don't work. In order to vote for Obama you need to collect welfare, be on drugs, be lazy, be a Government worker, oops thats like saying lazy twice, or be anti American.
Lol, yup, start babbling the lie that liberals don't work, it's always what you mental midgets fall back to because you are incapable of defending the lying, thieving gang of corporate thugs that you stupidly vote for.
hey skibum, show some proof of that 45%. Bet you can't find any honest proof. Maybe made up crap from some red site, but real honest proof, isn't any. So that statement makes you a liar.
But those same people, plus more, will vote for Hiliary before they vote for a control freak of a pukebag Republican. We women have not, and will not, forget the war on women you pukebags are running. Either change the pukebag platform, or lose more elections. But you won't change, and you will continue to lose. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
@ stopfreeloaders, Maybe if congress would focus on jobs we wouldnt have so many people on welfare and food stamps. Outsourcing ALL of our jobs is what is killing America. Do you really think people prefer foodstamps to having a job? Most Americans just want what our parents had, Job security, decent pay, A retirement plan
"That's really funny, since it is the majority of the Righties that pay the biggest portion of the bills. "
That's a line of crap. Most of the most red states are also in the top 10 welfare states.
The top 10 welfare recipient states. What party do the governors of those states belong to?
1) New Mexico (Democrat)
2) Mississippi (Republican)
3) Alaska (Republican)
4) Louisiana (Republican)
5) West Virginia (Republican)
6) Alabama (Republican)
7) South Dakota (Republican)
8) Kentucky (Republican)
9) Virginia (Republican)
10) Montana (Republican)
"45% of Obama's votes came from people who don't work."
Is that so?? Do you have even the smallest amount of real evidence to back up that statement???
I think it was Ben Franklin who said words to the effect, "This Republic will no longer be viable when the electorate can vote themselves funds from the public treasury".
Charlie - you are wrong about West Virginia - the gov. of that state is a dem
Trying to predict this early, who will be president, is crazy. Too many things can happen before then. We should be concentrating on our present issues and try to solve them. instead of spending time speculating.
Bush could very well be the last Republican President for a long LONG time, With the changing demographic of the USA the combined minorities will be the majority of voters, Add the hardcore liberals and general Democratic party to that and Republicans will have a hard time in National elections regardless of redistricting, electoral manipulation, etc,,,,,,,,,,There will be a split Congress for many years to come but Republicans are looking at being the minority party until the party as a whole completely changes it's entire platform. I can only hope the party survives what the radical right wingers have done to it's image.
Kind of depressing isn't it, the dumbing down of America.
When over half country elects this complete idiot twice, you have to wonder.
Darkness, you are half right. The dumbing down of America is real. The Republican majority in congress proves it.
i remember when colorado passed the weed bill legalizing weed. obama was asked about that and he said "WE HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY".... i call it deflecting.
well this petition will force his hand and he will have to make a decision.
i have started a petition at the whitehouse. gov
the petition is to have the federal government to enforce its own bans on marijuana and illegal immigration.
please go there and sign it.
http://wh.gov/Esqw
lets take away their weed !!!!! and the illegals that bring it into our country !!!!!!
help me get this to obama's desk....copy and paste, repost, add to your facebook, twitter
Hopefully you see by the number of replies how well your idea went over...lmfao.
AgainstThegrain
You posted this same exact post in Gun control article, are you a troll or what. DO you not see the trend that people are sick and tired of the war on drugs. You are the minority now, I don't smoke pot and Served in USMC for 11.5 years. But to arrest someone for pot is plain crazy, WHO have they hurt no one. They should have a choice of what they put in their body. If you choose to drink alcohol so be it, or prescription drugs have at it. It is your body and if you choose to smoke, eat or vaporize pot in your own home what is it to you. Do you get upset if someone goes and fills their prescription and takes it home NO.
Lately alot of countries are looking at changing their drug policy, instead of police state they are moving to treatment plan if a person is addicted. Look at Portugal, it is working and they are showing decline across the board on drug use.
This current war isn't working and we have been pouring billions of dollars and what has it produced for us. NADA I say lets save some money and try something new as this has been a failure for the last 40 years.
Just my thoughts on this matter
"the petition is to have the federal government to enforce its own bans on marijuana and illegal immigration."
President Obama has deported more illegals in 4 years than Bush did in 8 years. As for marijuana laws --- trying to enforce them is like trying to make water run up hill.
Marco Rubio the republican flavor of the month
I would say,,,,,Flavor of the week, Christie will be back on the menu, LOL
Christy... Rubio.... Both of them would have to get through the tea bagger meat grinder. No, someone as silly as Santorum, will get the nod.
I don't see any solution. Republicans have been so obvious in their hate of and contempt for Obama that democrats will not forget it after the next election. Of course, if republicans run the same gang as last time they will just have to continue to have hate and contempt for the next one.
Obama is dishonest and a liar who is trying his hardest to push his socialistic agenda down everyones throats. Biden WON’T be any better and more than likely worse if that is even possible.
Obama is pushing evenmore more into dictatorship with the latest bill signing with photos taken with him surrounded with children. Think I am blowing smoke? GOOGLE other dictators such as Hitler and look at some of those documents he signed while surrounded by children in hopes of gaining support by pulling at the heart and throughing honest thought out the window.
He is just following GW Bush's policies, and you were fine with them. What changed, having a black person as President? Can't handle that? Sounds like a personal problem.
Ok, here's the BLAME word again - blame Bush...........then you have to throw in the RACE card. Wow, both in one post - how did you do that Sally?
Factually it is not a Race Card or Blame issue in relationship to Obama. The person people call Obama is indeed dishonest and a liar and this Obama person has shown his lack of integrity many times over in
the course of the first four years. If this obamanation were following Bush we would not be in half of the mess this country is in right now. I will agree that not every issue is the fault of Obama. The media and the lack of genuine integrity they Do Not display is part of our problem as well an up rise in overall human
selfishness and many people only caring for what they want and think they need.
Charlie - good post. It's hard to respect a president that has shown his lack of integrity and he won't man-up and admit his mistakes. No wonder our country is so divided.
"Obama is dishonest and a liar who is trying his hardest to push his socialistic agenda down everyones throats"
Charlie-1915998: Obama is a socialist gig and that is where there ENTIRE is. GOP Does Not, Will Not and Should Not support socialism. A socialist or socialist gig as you call it is about the ME-ME-ME scenario. That is where are country is falling down and more and more people are feeling entitled to all of the whatever’s. From Big Government to every little don’t wanna work for myself person on the street feels entitled. The GOP promotes self esteem and far too many people as I said feel entitled. Sorry Charlie……
Charlies1,
The GOP promotes "self esteem"...Really? Just how do they do that?
Do you even know what a "socialist" is? If so, please tell me what socialistic policies President Obama is promoting.
People WANT to work in this country, there aren't enough jobs out there for people to go to!
The rich keep getting richer, and the middle class is slowly dissolving. Soon we will be a country of two classes, "upper and lower".
Thanks to our FAILED trickle down economic policies.
Charlie-1915998: Obama is a socialist gig and that is where there ENTIRE is.
Well as far as cuts go, why not cut the DEA budget on the war on drugs. What a failure it has been over the years. Their is more pot around then before the war started, I see it every day.
But yet we spend millons of dollars on this absurd war, plus we are prosecuting non-violent crimes that hurt nobody. We jail more people than China does and they have alot more people than we do. Why are we hell bent on ruining the future of our youth because they make a bad choice. It stays on their record for the rest of their life. They can't get school loans much less a decent paying job.
Please kill this war and bring our youth back where they belong.
Jetski: I am going to agree with you on one venue but also pose a general opinion. The drug thing in general is a poor idea simply because it is government run. It is sad to say and even sadder to generalize but basic government positions seem to be self seeking or self promoting. In days gone past a position of leadership was just that, a way to help and guide people to do what was considered right by a majority and not who offered the bigger pay off. In general many of us (and yes I place myself in this group) have lowered our moral standards. The general thought is toss a person in jail and the problem will be solved. Go back as little as forty years and remember that does indeed take a village to raise a child. Problem today is many don’t want to get involved.
As far as the war goes, I agree to bring our troops home but until we figure out our home life the rest will still suffer.
It's amazing how people think blowing a little dope or snorting some coke is a harmless pastime. Yet how many people South of the Border are gunned, maimed, killed, tortured amongst their own cartels to feed this worthless American habit. The hypocracy we exhibit is beyond belief.
.
You think the Republicans will learn in 2016. Nominate Ryan or some other tea party, far right winger. The dems will win easily no matter who they run. Read Ryan's path to prosperity, a middle class, working poor, and senior killer, while he will give the wealthy major tax breaks...Like no taxes on investments, make 30 million, you pay no taxes...make 30 thousand working, and you pay taxes. Sure it will create jobs..if you believe that i have some lake front property (swamp land for sale).
R.F., (lots interpretations of that). Take the most disgusting of the interpretations and that is how I feel about this incessant campaigning. Bollocks-I don't pay those dorks to run around the country self aggrandizing, fellating special interests and promoting themselves. Bollocks.
The way things are now it might work better for one party to be President and the other Vice President. Nothing is going to change until we the people vote these politicians out. We keep complaining that they never work but yet we keep voting the same people in time and time again. We keep falling for the same crap that someone can solve our problems for us, how about if we start solving our own problems first? The politicians are the smart ones here not us?
Obama's ego is counterbalanced by his brain--one is full, the other empty. A dangerous combination not unlike Hitler.
gism, i see your head is full, full of shat, that is!!!!
For the love of PETE! Is this all these cockroaches, ..oops I mean career politicians no what to do? 4 years...no budget. A National Debt completely out of control and eventually will be the death knell of all of us. A Fed printing the purchasing power of the dollar into oblivion, and except for a select few Libertarians not afraid to paint the REAL picture and try their best to STOP the madness...BOTH Rips and Dums are concerned only about their slimy political hides. I now know why the French common man reached the breaking point and stormed the Bastille! Makes me PUKE!
I am still a fan of President Obama's but I am waiting for the time to come when the dye in his hair starts dripping from the heat of the stage lights in a press confrence, I keep looking for it but no drips yet :).
One thing for President Obama is he talks to the people in our own language not above or below us.
Obama cares...he really does.
It's not how he says what he says that matters - it's what his words mean.
He's a very dangerous man who has you fooled.
No Bill, the people who twist his words into meaning something sinister when they do not, have YOU fooled. Obama is a centrist who is only trying to do what is best for the country. The lies and wild accusations thrown around about this President are unprecedented and completely baseless.
If you're a pompous, arrogant. elitist, Christian hating, America destroying buffoon then you speak Obama's language.
We just got through the last election and already we are being pummelled with 2016. Give us a break; solve the debt ceiling and deficit problems--that's what the American people want to hear about, not who is going to be driving us crazy with campaign ads. Start doing the job you were elected to do; if that happens, you won't have to worry about being re-elected.