Election 2016 Preview: A Look At Early Candidates

President Barack Obama stands victorious on Wednesday after a close but decisive victory over challenger Mitt Romney. That means for the next four years the Obama administration is in charge but it also means that posturing for a 2016 run at the Oval Office is due to begin.

So who are the likely candidates for president in 2016? There are plenty to choose from.

On the Democrat side, they’ll have the challenge of finding a legitimate successor for the first black president in US history, but at least one member of the party has already hinted they may toss their hat in the ring. As The Inquisitr reported yesterday, current Vice President and Vice President Elect Joe Biden told reporters that he hadn’t cast a vote for himself for the final time in yesterday’s election.

Biden, now 69, will be 73 by the time the 2016 election rolls around, which would make him the oldest person elected to the presidency if he were to win. Still, Biden is an elder statesmen of the party, and, if Obama ends his second term on a popular note, Biden could be seen as a logical extension of the administration for four additional years. Were he to win a second term however, Biden would be 81 when his presidency ended.

The Mercury News reports that Hilary Clinton is another possible candidate. The former Senator and Secretary of State has name recognition from her own distinguished career and from her marriage to former President Bill Clinton. Clinton has, however, indicated she does not plan a run in 2016, but, on the other hand, almost all presidential campaigns start with the candidate claiming they have no intention to run.

The Wall Street Journal suggests popular New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as a possible candidate. Cuomo, like Clinton, has denied plans to seek the most powerful office in the land, but he has the political pedigree from his father Mario and the media focus on New York gives him a place in the spotlight for the taking if he is interested.

On the Republican side, things are no more certain. Romney has hinted all along that 2012 was to be his last campaign for the White House, but his vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan, is only 42. What’s more, Ryan isn’t stepping out of the spotlight. While Ryan tried and failed with Romney to win the White House, the Huffington Post reports the Congressman did retain his seat as a representative from Wisconsin in the House of Representatives. Ryan is popular with a younger segment of the Republican Party and could well be a candidate in 2016.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is another potential candidate in 2016. Christie is popular with independents and is known for fiercely speaking his mind. The residents of New Jersey seem to like him, and he showed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy a willingness to work across the political divide, appearing side-by-side with President Obama as the two worked to restore the area. Christie was rumored as a 2012 candidate.

A potential wildcard candidate for the right could be former Secretary of State under George Bush, Condoleezza Rice. Rice, who had been somewhat on the political sidelines prior to this year’s Republican National Convention, jumped back into national prominence with a popular speech at the convention. Whether Rice intends to use her reacquired status for political gain is not known. She is, however, a pro-choice candidate, which would hurt her with the Republican base in 2016.

The 2016 presidential election is still four years off. Who would you like to see run?