Visual Comment of the Week

Cartoon by Brian Spencer with commentary from Aaron Callan.

So Obama’s made it over the line and won his ticket back into the White House. But already the US media are making predictions on the 2016 Presidential election. It’s interesting to see how the US media, starved of the Presidential election to feed on, turn their attention, almost immediately, towards 2016. Even though President Obama hasn’t even started his second term!

What was more interesting was the predictions being made for who would be the respective candidates for each party entering into 2016. A number of names being bandied about include: Marco Rubio, Condoleezza Rice, Chris Christe and Joe Biden. However, the most interesting prediction is that of a Clinton vs. Bush rematch.

This ‘rematch’ would be a replay of the 1992 election, which, was of course contested by George H. Bush and Bill Clinton. This Clinton is of course Hilary, who has had a very celebrated term as secretary of state and has already signaled her intentions of stepping down from this position. The Bush is Jeb Bush, who had a very successful time as Florida governor. These two families have dominated American politics over the past two decades. Both Clinton and Bush would have a number of backers ready to sign up and lend their support to the campaigns.

Hilary represents a familiar moderate democratic brand and many already think that the nomination is her’s for the taking. Her husband played a very important part in Obama’s re-election and was credited with getting a number of democratic candidate elected during the recent election cycle. Many of whom could be called upon for 2016. Jeb Bush represents everything the republicans are looking for. Fluent in Spanish and married to a Mexican-American, he has the ability to address the single biggest weakness which the Republicans have, the inability to connect with the Hispanic voters.

For both Clinton and Bush, the appeal of building a dynasty could prove irresistible. In America clan politics retains a huge influence reflecting a mix between celebrity culture, nostalgia and branding. The US Constitution states, “No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States.” However, a famous political name remains a passport to the highest office in the land. America, it seems, is fascinated by it’s political dynasties. One just has to look at the Kennedy clan, which, on Tuesday seen it’s fourth generation claiming political office, the closest thing to a Royal family in America. A contest between Clinton and Bush in 2016 could possibly be the biggest battle between dynasties in American political history.

Just a brief note on the recent Presidential election, after spending roughly £3 billion on the election, which, maintained the status quo in Washington DC, one can say money doesn’t buy everything just ask Mitt Romney and Linda McMahon. Obama created history by being re-elected at a time when unemployment is still quite high and growth in the economy so sluggish. The first headache for Obama was the shock resignation of CIA director David Petraeus, who is regarded as one of America’s greatest soldiers and potential candidate for 2016, ending his 37 years of public service under a dark cloud.


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