Presidential Politics 2016

I was asked recently who I support for 2016. I went immediately through the field of potential candidates on both sides of the political spectrum, democrats and republican; liberal and conservative. The media is doing it, too; everyday, some new (and not so new) names are bandied about: Hillary, Marco, Joe, Rand.

The names, the lists, get longer and longer each day. Are you tired yet? I am.

We need to recall that the 2012 campaign began on November 3, 2010, right after the republicans retook the House of Representatives. That was a long campaign. By the time the Iowa straw poll was conducted there were over a dozen potential candidates.

Now I am a political junkie, so I enjoyed it all. But to the average American, they were exhausted by the time the first debate rolled around. So when the primaries were underway, each day brought out a poll with someone else in the lead beating President Obama.

Well, we all know how that turned out.

Republican Mitt Romney was damaged goods by the time the convention opened in late August, and although he won the nomination, he looked tired and weak. He got a boost after the first debate, but only because Mr Obama was unprepared. As October rolled into November, Mr Obama had his mojo back and easily won reelection.

What is my point? It is too early to start the 2016 campaign, especially since the 2014 campaign isn't up and running (well, maybe for some Senate seats). But as the 2012 campaign showed, we can't start counting the house until after Labor Day in 2014 to see how the field of candidates plays out for the few House and Senate seats that might change parties.

So to summarize: relax, sit back and enjoy this break of the constant political campaign. Or the American people will once again be burned out well before Election Day in 2016.