I’m nervous about making predictions for November’s mid-term elections. But I wouldn’t hesitate to say who I think will win the presidency in 2016. After all, November is close enough for you to remember my forecast, while 2016 isn’t.
Not that anyone is asking for my picks. But why not? I’ll tell you what I see coming, and you can tell me why I’m wrong. It’s a favorite game of the TV pundits.
Even Grover Norquist (of “poopy-head” fame) is touting a tip sheet. I read this morning that he says the Republican nomination for President will go to one of six likely candidates – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.
What a wimp. Why not go out on a limb and pick the winner? Who’s going to remember two years from now?
And it’s a sorry looking list, isn’t it?
“Boss” Christie might well be in prison by 2016. Walker is a union-busting flunkie who was taped taking orders from billionaire Charles Koch on the phone. Rick Perry – oh my God, Rick Perry? Wasn’t he the nitwit who couldn’t remember the three federal departments he wanted to trash? As for Bobby Jindal, I am haunted by his creepy response to the President’s State of the Union address back in 2009. Remember?
I am pretty sure Jeb Bush isn’t running. Why would he? He has far-reaching business interests that might be damaged by the negativism of a presidential campaign. Besides, he is too reasonable for today’s Republican primary voters. The party has moved so far right that loose cannons like Ted Cruz are the base’s favorites.
That leaves Rand Paul.
I think Paul will win the nomination (beating out Cruz, who is not in Norquist’s list). Paul has the name recognition. He has the fund-raising clout. His anti-war stance has widespread support. And – here’s the trump card – he has his daddy’s political machine. Ron Paul has a very well organized political infrastructure all over the country. He has been putting the thing together for years.
Scary, isn’t it?
Rand Paul, in bed with white supremacists and anti-abortion extremists… Rand Paul, in favor of letting kids go hungry and sick people die if they can’t pay their own way… that Rand Paul.
But I don’t think we need to worry. He is going to be facing Hillary Clinton.
And Americans are too sane to pick a cold-hearted libertarian nut like Paul when they can choose a bright, compassionate, capable woman like Hillary. I predict that not only will Hillary take the White House in a landslide but that voters will have had enough of the crazies who call themselves Republicans nowadays and give the Democrats both houses of Congress.
And what about this November?
I’ll have to think on that some more.
