2016 is a long way away
by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
If you listen to the politicians and press, one would think that the election for the President of the United States is next week. Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas casino owner, who allegedly makes over $1 million every hour, 24 hours a day, summoned four Republican governors who plan to run for President in 2016 on the Republican ticket.
Potential Republican candidates included Govs. Chris Christie, R-N.J., Scott Walker, R-Wis., and John Kasich, R-Ohio, former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla. attended the four-day Republican Jewish Coalition after being summoned by Adelson. Two years before the official beginning of the next presidential contest, the competition for the GOP’s most influential donors is well underway.
Some Republican officials have stepped up pressure on Bush to run in the wake of Christie’s bridge scandal, although there remains significant interest in Walker or other prospective candidates in what is considered a wide-open GOP field. But no single donor’s endorsement may be more powerful than Adelson’s, who is among the 10 richest people in the world. The casino magnate almost single-handedly bankrolled the group behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s 2012 campaign.
Adelson did not attend Walker’s speech, but he was seated directly in front of the podium as Christie spoke. Earlier in the week, Adelson met privately with Bush, who addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition’s senior members at Adelson’s company airport hangar.
My prediction right now would be that the ticket on the Republican side will be Jeb Bush for President and Condoleezza Rice for Vice President. Here are reasons why they think that ticket will work: Jeb Bush will attract some Democrats, and Hispanics because his wife is Hispanic; Condoleezza Rice will attract women and minority voters.
On the Democratic ticket Hillary Clinton will be the Presidential candidate and one of the twins from Texas – Julian or Joaquin Castro – will be the Vice President candidate.
The Republican Party is working hard to make sure they win to get the majority in the House and Senate. At the present time Democrats have not formulated their talking points – their message that they think will resonate with the majority of voters is not yet straight.
Here’s what their message should be:
1. The Affordable Care Act is needed in America. We have to sit down in the bi-partisan way and support the parts that work and delete the parts that do not. If you recall many years ago, it took several years to fix Social Security.
2. We should unquestionably pass a minimum wage law.
3. We should enforce the Ledbetter Law, that women deserve equal pay.
4. We must extend long-term unemployment benefits for millions of unemployed.
5. We must close the gap between the poor and the rich without taking anything from the rich.
6. We must pass an immigration law in 2014.
7. We must fix, on a national basis, our roads and bridges.
8. We must make our educational systems affordable to each and every individual based on their personal qualifications.
Our tag line should be:
“We believe in America and we do better when everybody is doing good.”
e-mail: jjlewis@birminghamtimes.com
