Here’s my predictions for presidential politics in the next two years:
Republicans
Sarah Palin: Will run. Campaign will lose steam during the primary debates, won’t be seen as presidential enough, especially on the international scale.
Newt Gingrich: Probably the most intelligent of all the possible candidates, straight shooter, broad-based knowledge of domestic and international affairs. Opponents will leak some disparaging aspects of his personal life of years past, which won’t work. He stands the second best chance to win the nomination. Would be a formidable debater who few could match up to.
Mitt Romney: Would be a deja vu rerun of 2008. Attractive, smart, but would have a hard time overcoming Mormonism for the majority of voters on a national scale.
Mike Huckabee: Likeable, affable, talented, good record as a governor. Like Palin, may have overexposed himself on the television show. People will see him as an entertainer now, not a president.
Tim Pawlenty: Makes good appearance but doesn’t have national steam.
Haley Barbour: Unattractive for modern media campaigning on a national level. Southern drawl (unfortunately) would become a drawback.
John Bolton: Doesn’t stand a chance.
Jeb Bush: America is not going to elect another Bush.
Bobby Jindal: Smart man. I could see him as a VP pick on someone’s ticket. Wouldn’t win the nomination.
Donald Trump: The dark horse. Watch for Trump to trump the field if he gets going. Blunt speaking, talks about reviving national pride and international image which is lacking on all points. Could run as a non-political, successful businessman who gets the job done. If he runs, voters would turn to him like they turned to Ross Perot in 1992, only Perot ran as an Independent, while Trump would have the GOP behind him.
Democrats
Barack Obama: The Democratic Party will likely nominate the incumbent president, providing they see him as a sure winner. And, that could be a problem, particularly if the economy continues to flounder and the international scene — particularly the radical Islamic issue — continues to crumble. Thus, the path of Obama will likely follow the path of Jimmy Carter, a one-term president.
Another dark cloud looming, which will be more of an issue in the next election, is the perennial question of his legitimacy and the haunting secrecy surrounding his failure to release college records.
Joe Biden: He would run only if he has already ascended to the presidency if Obama fails to serve out his term. Biden is seen by both parties as a shoot-from-the-hip bloviater, and would not be elected.
Hillary Clinton: Another dark horse. Hillary is looming quietly, waiting for the right time to make a move. If Obama shows any weakness, or fails to run for any reason, she’ll rise to the occasion, and that would make the election a very tight race.
Shoot…
