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According to this we now have 16 running for the 2016 GOP nomination. Fourteen are declared (including Christie, who announced yesterday). Kasich and Walker both almost certainly will declare, bringing the total to 16. Get to know the 2016 Republican presidential candidates | NJ.com
Why so many? I can think of only three who might have run but declined--Romney, Ryan, and Susana Martinez. So of 19 who asked themselves whether to run, 16 answered 'yes.' There must be some big perceived upside to running and losing. But what is it?
The theory I came up with is that they see what Bill and Hillary Clinton have done over the last 14 years. Bill Clinton made $104.9 million in speaking fees from 2001-2013. Hillary has her own money-making empire. She got a $14 million cash advance alone on Hard Choices (which has not sold well).
In essence what the Clintons have done is to literally capitalize on their name ID and connections. I read somewhere that when Bill ran and lost for AR gov in 1980, they didn't even own a home, and had to figure out where to live after vacating the gov's mansion. Bill is now on the list of 10 richest ex-presidents. Richest presidents from Washington to Clinton
If you look at the list of 10 richest presidents, 4 made their fortune through land early in the republic (Washington, Madison, Tyler, Jackson). Several made it from inheritance (Kennedy, both Roosevelts). Now there is this new model of how a politico can become fabulously wealthy by monetizing name-ID and connections.
Probably none of the 16 will take in 9 figures as the Clintons have. But if they can monetize name-ID to the tune of just $5-10 million that still makes a nice nest egg for a politico who has spent his life working for $100-200,000/yr at best.
That's my theory on why the GOP field has grown so large. What's your view?
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My view is it's generally acknowledged that Gerald Ford was the first POTUS to make being an ex-POTUS a lucrative cottage industry so your bias is duly noted in mentioning only Democrats who've capitalized on their former office(s) and/or inherited their fortunes.
I don't believe any of the announced candidates on either side of the aisle really give a rat's ass about the average America, they're in it for their own ego gratification and/or material gain and little else.
I don't believe any of the announced candidates on either side of the aisle really give a rat's ass about the average America, they're in it for their own ego gratification and/or material gain and little else.
I think Bernie Sanders is an exception to that. He got into the race thinking he had no chance to win, but wanted to bring some crucial middle-class issues into the national discussion, things like income and wage inequality, the approaching student debt crisis, the need to divert some of our over bloated military budget to infrastructure spending, and the need to reign in/break up the big banks. I think the momentum he is experiencing right now is a surprise to him, but it speaks to the desire of the electorate for someone to be addressing these issues. Certainly we hear nothing of these things from any of the other candidates.
My view is it's generally acknowledged that Gerald Ford was the first POTUS to make being an ex-POTUS a lucrative cottage industry so your bias is duly noted in mentioning only Democrats who've capitalized on their former office(s) and/or inherited their fortunes.
I don't believe any of the announced candidates on either side of the aisle really give a rat's ass about the average America, they're in it for their own ego gratification and/or material gain and little else.
Seriously? The whole post is a speculation that at least some of these 16 GOP candidates are running with a view to cash in on running. And your takeaway from that is "your bias is duly noted in mentioning only Democrats ...." Go figure.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HeyJude514
I think Bernie Sanders is an exception to that. He got into the race thinking he had no chance to win, but wanted to bring some crucial middle-class issues into the national discussion, things like income and wage inequality, the approaching student debt crisis and the need to reign in/break up the big banks. I think the momentum he is experiencing right now is a surprise to him, but it speaks to the desire of the electorate for someone to be addressing these issues. Certainly we hear nothing of these things from any of the other candidates.
I have to confess I really haven't dug too deeply into Sanders's candidacy, 16 months to go and I'm already burned out on meaningless sound bites and rhetoric. If he really is an exception I wouldn't give him very good odds, probably be seen as too much of a radical by the party poobahs.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,400,252 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wutitiz
Seriously? The whole post is a speculation that at least some of these 16 GOP candidates are running with a view to cash in on running. And your takeaway from that is "your bias is duly noted in mentioning only Democrats ...." Go figure.
Gimme some of whatever it is you're smoking.
Being you failed to mention anyone on the right who cashed in on former office and/or inherited their wealth I'll stand by what I said, your post is worded so as to expect us to believe that none of these Republican runners ever considered the boost to be had to both their egos and bank accounts until they observed the Clintons at work. As I said, Gerald Ford pretty much gets credit for making ex-POTUS a very well paying gig. Perhaps you should be the one to stop Bogarting what you're smoking, eh?
It's not complicated, they are running for money. Remember when Newt Gingrich ran in 2008 and in the middle of his campaign, he went on vacation with his wife? His whole campaign team couldn't believe it and realized he was not serious at all - just wanting to sell a book and maintain his celebrity. Jeb! Bush made all his money after he stopped being governor.
The GOP is looking pretty funny and I expect one of the Duck Dynasty family and Ted Nugent to both declare any day now but even they would probably make money off of it. Look at Trump. He cannot be serious - does he really see himself being elected by a large number of states in this country? But a lot of Republicans love him and he loves the attention.
What about Christie? Does he seriously think he is going to win a large number of states in this country? He can't make it through a day without yelling at someone and has become infamous for a staff that was willing to put a small town at risk in order to exact revenge. Yet he now calls King Abdullah his best pal, who gave his family a nice $30K vacation. It's all about the money.
My view is it's generally acknowledged that Gerald Ford was the first POTUS to make being an ex-POTUS a lucrative cottage industry so your bias is duly noted in mentioning only Democrats who've capitalized on their former office(s) and/or inherited their fortunes.
I don't believe any of the announced candidates on either side of the aisle really give a rat's ass about the average America, they're in it for their own ego gratification and/or material gain and little else.
You need quite a few people for a CIRCULAR FIRING SQUAD but hey the Repub's figured that out several years ago.
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