U.S. presidential candidates: Who's in so far

While the 2016 U.S. presidential election is still many months away, the race is already heating up, as a number of high-profile candidates have thrown their hat into the ring.

A former senator, secretary of state and first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton is the undisputed frontrunner for the presidential nomination and the only Democrat to have announced their candidacy thus far. The problem for Clinton is that she was also the frontrunner in 2007, before a junior senator from Illinois overtook her during the primary and later became president.

After announcing on April 12 with a video clearly intended as an appeal to middle-class voters, Clinton said her campaign is "taking nothing for granted." She's travelling by road to early primary states to parlay her message that "the deck is still stacked in favour of those at the top" and that she wants to be a "champion" for the American people.

Clinton's policy stances are largely in lock-step with the socially progressive approach of President Barack Obama, particularly on issues such as health care and climate change mitigation. As secretary of state, however, she advocated a more aggressive approach to some foreign crises – for example, she argued in favour of arming some rebel groups at the outset of the Syrian civil war, a move that Obama resisted until last year.

Clinton recently came under fire from critics on both sides of the aisle after it was revealed she used a private email server and account during her time as secretary of state.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has positioned his candidacy as one for a new generation of the American right. Though he often aligns with the Republican base, the hawkish Cuban-American is fluent in Spanish and has deep connections among Florida Latinos, which could attract voters that have traditionally resisted the GOP.

Only 43 years old, Rubio previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and is considered a protégé of former governor Jeb Bush. He was among the most influential senators to take part in a failed bipartisan effort to craft a far-reaching immigration reform bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Rubio has since distanced himself from the bill.

Nonetheless, his political narrative is largely driven by his family's immigrant story – his recent memoir is called American Dreams – and he's likely to present himself as the alternative to candidates deeply entrenched in the Washington establishment.

"I live in an exceptional country where the son of a bartender and a maid can have the same dreams and the same future as those who come from power and privilege," he said during his announcement speech in Miami on April 13.

Described by one of his Harvard law professors as "off-the-charts brilliant," junior Texas Sen. Ted Cruz rocketed from the fringes of the Republicans' Tea Party wing to a legitimate (albeit long-shot) candidate in a few short years. Born in Calgary (although he very publicly renounced his Canadian citizenship last year), Cruz was the first to announce and did so on March 23 at Virginia's evangelical Liberty University, a nod to his Christian values.

Cruz has studied the U.S. Constitution extensively, and argues it should remain unchanged.

"From the founding of our country, America has enjoyed God's providential blessing at every stage," he once told televangelist James Robertson. "When the declaration and constitution were drafted, they were drafted on the knees of the founding fathers through prayer."

Cruz was a policy advisor to George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential election before going on to serve as Texas's youngest and first Hispanic solicitor general. He is among the most outspoken opponents of Obama's health care reforms, claiming they have resulted in massive job losses. Cruz is also highly critical of establishment Republicans, whom he has repeatedly called the "mushy middle."

A potential problem for Cruz during the nomination race could be his highly vocal father, the pastor Rafael Cruz, who has a habit of making outlandish statements, like calling Obama a "tyrant" who should "go back to Kenya" and repeatedly referring to gay people as "sexual deviants."

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is a wild card in the Republican nomination race. Like his father, former Texas congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul, he is a staunch libertarian. More recently, he has distanced himself from the uncompromising views of his father, who, for example, has advocated for the legalization of all drugs and abolishing the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Rand Paul's brand of libertarianism has led to policy positions that could appeal to voters across the spectrum. Paul says he would dismantle social security, but also wants to legalize some drugs and revamp the criminal justice system. He would repeal Obamacare, but also claw back defence spending.

Much like the elder Paul did, he is campaigning on an anti-establishment bent. His campaign slogan is "Stand with Rand, Defeat the Washington Machine." According to an ad Paul released before Hillary Clinton announced her intention to run, she represents "the worst" of D.C.'s elite.

There are a few other big names left who currently sit in the category of possibly-maybe-almost-certainly running.

Jeb Bush, part of the Bush political dynasty and a former Florida governor, is likely going to announce and is a very serious contender for the Republican nomination. He has already travelled to key primary states to push his economic agenda, and his political action committee (PAC), The Right to Rise, released a video slamming Clinton. Bush has also made overtures to liberal voters, softening some of his more socially conservative positions on same-sex marriage, immigration and marijuana legalization.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who flirted with a 2012 run and became a prominent national figure for his handling of the fallout from Hurricane Sandy, is another likely candidate. The straight-talking Republican has been credited for his bipartisan efforts. Any run, however, could be marred by recent scandals.

It's less clear who might step up to challenge Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Of particular note is Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a highly progressive academic-turned-politician. Warren headed the congressional panel charged with overseeing the distribution of bailout funds following the 2008 financial crisis, and has championed financial sector reform and stricter regulations on banks.

Former Democratic Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, who campaigned for Clinton in 2007, has hinted at a potential run, telling ABC that "the presidency is not some crown to be passed between two families," adding that "it is an awesome and sacred trust to be earned and exercised on behalf of the American people."

Imagine, a pastor referring to homosexual behaviour as deviant. All pastors should be shouting that from the pulpits - the truth needs to be told.

A potential problem for Cruz during the nomination race could be his highly vocal father, the pastor Rafael Cruz, who has a habit of making outlandish statements, like calling Obama a “tyrant” who should “go back to Kenya” and repeatedly referring to gay people as “sexual deviants.”

He is, he should and they are. It is only the past 15 minuets or so in America that such sentiments are called “outlandish”.

There was once a Presidential candidate, who thought he was a shoo-in for the job, and in fact, much of the press and the liberal elite were certain the recount (a highly selective one, by the way) in Florida would surely give him the margin. It must have hurt like hell, but that candidate later “jokingly” referred to the outcome as “I used to be the next President of the United States.”

The movers of the levers of power behind the Democrat party will not let that happen again. This time, the margin has to be so overwhelming, so unchallenged, there will be little question of recounts. By either side.

But, I suppose one should be careful what one wishes for. A sufficiently large voter fraud almost looks like a mandate. And if successful, the fraud would never be prosecuted.

It is only the past 15 minuets or so in America that such sentiments are called "outlandish."

Minuets? Yes, too many politicians and pastors dance around the issue, afraid of being called bigots.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.