In short, 2016 may turn out to be a repeat -- in spades -- of 2012. Many angry clowns fighting for center stage and a continuing war, as the Washington Post puts it, between "establishment and insurgents." The party is, in effect, trying to control the situation -- starting now.
... An enormous number of potential contenders are looking at the race, including, perhaps, a return of virtually everyone who ran in 2012. Come this time next year, 15 or more of them could be traveling the early primary states, jockeying for attention and money.
The Republican National Committee is doing its best to prevent a replay of the spectacle of 2012, which saw one candidate after another pop up as a mortal threat to the front-runner. Late last month, the RNC began putting into place rules that would shorten the primary season and make it begin later. ...WaPo
Guess who's back on the list? Um, Mitt Romney. Can you imagine a race between Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton? And here's a dirty little question from a lapsed Democrat: just how different are those two prospective front-runners? Seriously! Any hope and change there?
If not Romney,who? Well, here's the Post's round-up of also-mentions:
Paul Ryan
The Donald
Marco Rubio
Rand Paul
Ted Cruz
Christie
Jindal
Kasich
Snyder
Walker
Pence
Huckabee
Santorum
Herman Cain [really!]
Ben Carson
Peter T. King
Bush3
The big dollars appear to be on Christie.
