The "Who is running?" tea leaves thread

[RogueBeaver]

Ryan was at Senor's Manhattan apartment for an MSM meet-n'-greet. Heinze debunks a few Biden myths.

[Mr. Morden]

Jesse Ventura has again floated a possible 2016 run, with Howard Stern as his VP candidate:

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/jesse-ventura-2016-presidential-bid-92091.html

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He originally floated this idea back in September:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=159430.0

[RogueBeaver]

Byron York: IA jazzed about Walker.

[Mr. Morden]

Here's a NY Times story on the question of whether Perry will run for governor again in 2014 and president in 2016, noting how Perry is unpredictable, and changes his mind at the last minute (e.g., his surprise fake out about dropping out of the 2012 race after getting 5th place in Iowa):

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/31/us/politics/will-gov-rick-perry-run-again-and-for-which-office.html

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[BluegrassBlueVote]

I think we're at the point where Walker should be considered top-five at a minimum in any GOP power rankings.

[RogueBeaver]

I think we're at the point where Walker should be considered top-five at a minimum in any GOP power rankings.

Agreed, but the polls don't reflect that yet.

[Mr. Morden]

I think we're at the point where Walker should be considered top-five at a minimum in any GOP power rankings.

Agreed, but the polls don't reflect that yet.

The polls are of limited utility at this very early stage.  Sure, they should be taken into account.  But they're just one data point that one should use in projecting out how the nominating contest might play out.

[BluegrassBlueVote]

I think we're at the point where Walker should be considered top-five at a minimum in any GOP power rankings.

Agreed, but the polls don't reflect that yet.

True, but the polls currently say Biden has the second-best chances at the Democratic nomination. And I'd put every dollar I have to my name on the odds that Joe Biden won't be my party's nominee.

Walker's got the money, he's got the resume, he's got the ambition, and I think he can clean up Iowa. His star will begin to shine once Paul Ryan takes his name out of the race (I'd predict in 2014).

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

I think we're at the point where Walker should be considered top-five at a minimum in any GOP power rankings.

Then here's to hoping Feingold takes him out next year.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Jesse Ventura has again floated a possible 2016 run, with Howard Stern as his VP candidate:

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/jesse-ventura-2016-presidential-bid-92091.html

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He originally floated this idea back in September:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=159430.0

Stern has said that Ventura is his best interview. I would love that ticket. My favorite former Governor and my favorite media personality on the same ticket!

[Mr. Morden]

Rand Paul and Ted Cruz will headline a private evangelical pastors conference to be held in Des Moines next month:

http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2013/06/03/only-on-the-brody-file-rand-paul-ted-cruz-to.aspx

Hickenlooper(!) will be among the speakers at Romney-fest 2013:

http://kdvr.com/2013/06/03/hickenlooper-will-attend-speak-at-romney-summit/

Rubio, Jindal, and McDonnell are raising money for Susana Martinez:

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/rubio-ros-lehtinen-diaz-balart-raising-money-in-dc-for-susana-martinez/2124676

Rob Portman (!) is visiting NH next month:

http://therun2016.com/portman-to-new-hampshire/

[Mr. Morden]

Allen West confirms that he's thinking about running for president in 2016:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/350163/allen-west-looks-2016-lindsey-grudnicki

Martinez says she has "zero" interest in running for president in 2016:

http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/video/our-uncut-on-the-record-interview-with-nm-gov-susana-martinez-will-she-run-for-president-in-2016/

[Mr. Morden]

Michele Bachmann on running for president in 2016:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/michele-bachmann-2016_n_3399994.html

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Klobuchar is fundraising for Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/06/1213952/-NH-Sen-Amy-Klobuchar-D-MN-Fundraises-For-Jeanne-Shaheen-D

Rubio has put together a heavyweight fundraising team:

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/303785-marco-rubio-cranks-up-his-money-machine

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Villaraigosa joins a handful of Dems in attending Romney-fest:

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_23398145/l-mayor-antonio-villaraigosa-heading-utah-mitt-romney

[Mr. Morden]

Cruz will headline the Iowa GOP's summer picnic next month:

http://therun2016.com/cruz-to-headline-iowa-picnic/

[Knives]

Hillary's new twitter lists all that she's done and ends in TBD...

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton

[Mr. Morden]

Gary Johnson not ruling out another presidential run….and not ruling out a return to the GOP:

http://www.nmtelegram.com/2013/06/12/johnson-said-hes-open-to-running-as-a-republican-again/

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[Mr. Morden]

Christie is speaking at the US job creation conference in Chicago, sponsored by the Clinton Global Initiative.  Bill and Hillary Clinton will also be there:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-06-13/unorthodox-christie-joins-three-clintons-at-u-dot-s-dot-jobs-conference

And I forget if I already mentioned this, but numerous potential GOP 2016ers, including Rubio, Paul, Ryan, Bush, Cruz, Perry, and Santorum are all speaking at this week's "Faith & Freedom Coalition" event, a social conservative gathering in DC:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/13/republican-leaders-court-religious-conservatives-as-fight-for-soul-gop/

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/12/christians-to-debate-their-role-and-influence-in-t/

[RogueBeaver]

Among Pubs, Ryan is seen most favorably: 69/12, while 40/32 amongst the general electorate.

[Mr. Morden]

Bush says there's a "split" among his parents on whether he should run for president, implying that his father wants him to and his mother doesn't:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/06/bush-ballot-split-on-jeb-in-2016/

[Mr. Morden]

Also on Jeb Bush:

http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2013/06/14/exclusive-jeb-bush-begins-to-lay-out-case-for-president.aspx

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[Mr. Morden]

Here's a story on the early presidential race in New Hampshire, and a bit about activity in the other early states as well:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/14/politics/new-hampshire-2016

[Mr. Morden]

Schweitzer appears likely to run for the US Senate seat in Montana, which means he's presumably out of the 2016 presidential race (except as a VP short lister):

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/schweitzer-likely-to-try-for-u-s-senate-seat/article_baca1ad0-ca1b-5b09-8389-e140d70009d8.html

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[Mr. Morden]

On Santorum's preparations for 2016:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/351324/santorums-quiet-2016-campaign-robert-costa

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[Mr. Morden]

Despite all the hints about a presidential run that Villaraigosa dropped last year, it looks like you can rule him out now.  He made very clear in a recent interview that he wants to be California governor:

http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2013/06/18/32302/mayor-antonio-villaraigosa-the-exit-interview/

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It doesn't actually look like he's going to challenge Brown in 2014, so we're looking at 2018.  In principle, he could run for president in 2016 before that, but it doesn't sound like he's interested anymore.  Why advertise that your sights are set as low as the governorship of CA if you first intend to run for a higher office?

[Mr. Morden]

Christie says he doesn't need to decide on 2016 until 2015:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-18/christie-says-no-need-to-decide-on-white-house-until-2015.html

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Allen West previously said he wouldn't rule out running for president in 2016.  Now he says he also won't rule out primarying Rubio for his Senate seat in 2016:

link

Rand Paul jokes that it's a "coincidence" that he keeps going to Iowa and New Hampshire:

http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/18/rand-paul-jokes-about-coincidence-of-new-hampshire-iowa-visits-video/

Gillibrand on Clinton 2016 (consistent with what she's previously said):

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/306243--sen-gillibrand-i-am-personally-urging-secretary-clinton-to-run

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