Free Republic

Mitt Romney may say he's not planning to make a third run for the White House, but according to a new CNN/ORC International poll, Republican voters aren't ready to give up on the idea just yet. While there is no clear frontrunner for the Republican ticket in 2016, most likely GOP voters say they would choose the former Massachusetts governor for the nomination, among 16 potential contenders. According to the survey, 20 percent of voters say Romney would be their first choice for the nominee, with retired neurosurgeon and conservative activist Ben Carson coming in second with 10 percent of...

Jeb Bush revealed that a decision on his presidential ambitions is coming 'in short order', as he spoke out to condemn President Barack Obama's recent immigration order. The former Florida governor said he will make up his mind based on whether he can 'lift people's spirits and not get sucked into the vortex', and whether 'the sacrifice for my family is tolerable'. He said: 'I'm thinking about running for president. And I'll make up my mind in short order - not that far out in the future.' 'I don't know if I'd be a good candidate or a bad one,'...

A few folks are interpreting this Tweet, by Sen. Marco Rubio’s spokesman Alex Conant, as a backdoor suggestion that Rubio will run for president.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has been something of an afterthought in the early coverage of the emerging Republican presidential field. That might be a little shortsighted, according to the results of a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released last week. Mr. Huckabee, who defied expectations in 2008 by winning the Iowa caucuses, is viewed more positively by fellow Republicans than nine potential rivals, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. The numbers alone aren’t enough to nudge the former Arkansas governor into the top-tier of Republicans considering a bid, but...

Over the holiday weekend, political reporters were shocked to learn that the nonpartisan political handicapper Charlie Cook believed that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton only had a 25 or perhaps 30 percent chance of even running for president in 2016. Cook reportedly told a group of conference attendees in Kansas City that, following Clinton’s “disastrous book tour,” it was unclear if she would continue to pursue high office. Well, it turned out that this was a bit of misreporting via The Kansas City Star. Cook had actually said that Clinton only has a 25 or 30 percent chance...

Republican voters nationwide want 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney back in the game, giving him the top position at 19 percent in an early look at the 2016 presidential race in a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is next with 11 percent, followed by New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie and Dr. Ben Carson at 8 percent each. No other Republican tops 6 percent, with 16 percent undecided. With Romney out of the race, Jeb Bush leads with 14 percent, followed by Christie at 11 percent, Carson at 9 percent and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul...

On a Republican presidential debate stage expected to be filled with more than a dozen current and former politicians, Carly Fiorina envisions herself standing out — as the only woman and the only CEO. Sensing an opportunity in a crowded field that lacks a front-runner, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive is actively exploring a 2016 presidential run. Fiorina has been talking privately with potential donors, recruiting campaign staffers, courting grass-roots activists in early caucus and primary states and planning trips to Iowa and New Hampshire starting next week.

The Rev. Al Sharpton says Rand Paul’s efforts to engage black voters could present a strategic challenge for Democrats: If the Republican senator runs for president, fewer African Americans may be motivated to show up and vote against him. The civil rights activist and TV host had breakfast with the Kentucky senator last week, and the pair discussed the need for criminal justice reform before disagreeing over how to deal with the immigration system.

Putin Is Circumspect on Re-Election but Says ‘Nyet’ to Presidency for Life By Alexander Kolyandr Nov. 23, 2014 MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doesn’t aim to hold his post for life but doesn’t rule out seeking another term in 2018, a move that could make him the country’s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin. In an interview with state-controlled TASS news agency, the 62-year-old Mr. Putin said that for him to remain “in the president’s chair forever” is “not good, and (is) detrimental for the country, and I do not need it as well.” But when asked whether he would...

Aaaaaaaand we’re off and running … in November? Former Senator and Reagan administration official Jim Webb formally announced the start of a presidential campaign exploration committee, becoming the first in either party to formally make a move for the 2016 race. In his 14-minute announcement, Webb declares that the nation is at a “serious crossroads,” and that his move comes after “reflecting on numerous political commentaries and listening to many knowledgeable people.” His move will certainly get plenty of political commentaries, but the odd timing might get more:CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb became...

Appearing at a Politico breakfast this week, progressive icon and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio effusively praised his fellow liberal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), but his plaudits for likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was far more reserved. In May, Clinton delivered a fiery,“populist” speech, according to press accounts, denouncing the scourge of income inequality. “Economists have documented how the share of income and wealth going to those at the very top — not just the top 1 percent but the top 0.1 percent, the 0.01 percent of the population — has risen sharply over the last generation,”...

Reverend Al Sharpton ✔ @TheRevAl I am in Senate Dining Room having breakfast meeting with Sen. Rand Paul. We don't agree on much but he is an interesting guy.

Signs are accumulating that California Governor Jerry Brown, fresh off a 20-point re-election victory and with at least $20 million in unspent campaign funds available, may challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016.  John Fund writes in NRO: …when his political aides sent out an invitation for a $5,000 fundraiserin Sacramento next Monday, there was inevitable speculation: Jerry Brown may run for president for the fourth time. If he challenges Hillary Clinton, Brown can claim solid credentials as a liberal leader. He has raised taxes on the rich, been an avid backer of climate-change regulation, and...

As we speculate about the next election, a fun thing for us Cowboys fans to do on a "bye weekend" is to speculate that 2016 could be the perfect campaign to revive former VP Al Gore. Let's start by saying that Mr. Gore is the perfect alternative to Hillary Clinton. He is liked by the left and can claim to have "won" an election. Furthermore, I think that a lot of the left knows that Senator Warren is charming but unelectable. There is also a real vacuum in the Democrats' bench. Who else is out there? Gov. Brown of California?...

We concede: You're exhausted from the election, the hurricane of attack ads and door knockers. Sick of Rick Scott and Charlie Crist. But brush it off, the 2016 presidential campaign is upon us, and Florida is in the spotlight like never before. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush are seriously considering entering the race and either would stake a formidable claim to the Republican nomination. They will announce their intentions by early next year. For Rubio, it's a decision of whether to give up an almost sure shot of re-election. (By Florida law, he can't go for both.)...

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe says Hillary Clinton will know whether she's running for president in 2016 within the next 60 days. That's the timeline the Clinton confidante outlined to U.S. News' Nikki Schwab Thursday night during a conversation at the Knock Out Abuse gala, an anti-domestic violence charity event held at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington.

Over steak and ravioli at The Liaison hotel on Capitol Hill on Wednesday night, about 50 aides, advisers and supporters of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) got pumped up for a presidential campaign they now believe is a 95 percent certainty. The senator introduced his wife, Kelley, and we’re told a final check-in with his family is his last hoop before settling on a presidential campaign. Paul is still saying he’ll decide this spring, with April the target for a fly-around announcement in the early states.

They’ve come a long way since 1992, but former President George W. Bush says his friendship with his predecessor Bill Clinton will remain intact “when Jeb beats Hillary.” “Look, I’ll still like him [Bill Clinton], if Jeb—when Jeb beats Hillary,” a smiling Bush told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in a clip of an interview that aired Thursday on the network.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who turned his stunning victory in the 2008 Iowa caucuses into a thriving talk show career, is reconnecting with activists and enlisting staff to position himself in a growing field of potential Republican presidential candidates. This week, Huckabee is leading more than 100 pastors and GOP insiders from early primary states on a 10-day overseas trip with stops in Poland and England. Huckabee’s newly formed non-profit advocacy group, America Takes Action, has begun to serve as an employment perch for his political team, recently bringing on a number of experienced campaign operatives.

The ink was barely dry on Scott Walker’s ballots in his third statewide win in four years when Chuck Todd asked him about his pledge to serve out four more years. That’s understandable; everyone assumes the two-term Governor of Wisconsin has national aspirations, and his invitation to Meet the Press was not offered to discuss Badger State water policy, after all. Walker didn’t give much away about his own plans, of course, but he offered the GOP some advice on 2016 that may well be self-serving eventually:CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is staying...