As the next presidential election looms ever nearer, people are starting to wonder who will be running in 2016. So far, a lot of names have been tossed around without a great deal of positive certainty attached to any of them. Here’s the rundown on who might be running, and who is definitely not running.
Mitt Romney is one of the most-bandied names for the GOP, but he stated at a GOP summit on Friday that he would not be in the running for president in 2016, according to the Washington Post . Some of his supporters from 2012 are still hopeful for a reversal on that assurance, and Romney has stated a desire to stay influential in the Republican party, but as of now, his word on running for president in 2016 is ‘no.’
There are also Republicans hoping for Governor Jeb Bush to be in the running. While the Washington Post says the key to his decision is how running would affect his family, the speculation at the Town Talk about a 2016 Bush-Clinton race centers around the risks of ‘Clinton fatigue,’ but doesn’t mention that ‘Bush fatigue’ might be a concern at this juncture as well.
Chris Christie is another GOP possible, having said recently that he’s still undecided on the matter, according to the Washington Times . Though he’s been trying to laugh off his bridge scandal, it might be enough to pass him aside as a serious candidate, though. His running may depend on what percent of the voters seem to have forgotten by 2016.
On the liberal front, Joe Biden is a consideration, according to CBS , which reports that the vice president isn’t saying for certain , but isn’t ruling it out. He says his running is as likely as not. The New Yorker ran a piece in February, though, mocking the idea , pointing out Biden’s age and that Clinton currently comes out ahead of him in polls.
Of course, Hillary Clinton has been getting a ton of attention, both positive and negative, regarding the possibility that she might run. The Fiscal Times even declares that she ‘ must run ,’ mostly due to the fact that the support is already there. If she does, she’ll be facing down gun control opponents, as well as trying to make the cut as America’s first female president, and that’s going to be hard. Still, she hasn’t made an official statement about whether she’s running.
Finally, Elizabeth Warren says she isn’t running , according to NewsMax , though there’s still a lot of support ready and waiting if she changes her mind, and the speculation on social media seems to be that if Clinton decides not to run, that reversal will be forthcoming.
Overall, there’s still a lot of room for speculation on who will be running in 2016, with all the top candidates insisting they aren’t sure yet, and some of the most favored choices flatly saying they won’t be running at all, and still plenty of time for new potential candidates to emerge.
[Photo Credit: Marc Nozell ]