The "Who is running?" tea leaves thread

[morgieb]

I wonder what changed.

Christie's scandals?

[Mr. Morden]

Ryan says he doesn't want to be House Speaker:

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/paul-ryan-house-speaker-102526.html?hp=t2_3

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He also says it's too early to make a decision about running for prez in 2016:

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So if Walker doesn't run, he will? I though we rules Ryan out weeks ago, right Mordern?

Nothing's changed.  He says he wants to be the Ways & Means chair next year, which would presumably mean that he's out as a presidential candidate.  But in the unlikely event that the Dems retake the House this year, or the unlikely event that someone else gets the Ways & Means chairmanship, then he still holds open the option of running for president.

But the fact that Ways & Means seems to be his top priority suggests that he's not really serious about a run for prez.  It's still in his interests to pretend to be weighing a run for prez though, as it gives him more national media attention.

EDIT: Oh wait, I missed the fact that in this interview, he says that it's too early to talk about whether he'll go after the Ways & Means chairmanship.  Well, that's not what he said a month ago:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949504579264663288440856

so I'm not sure what he means by that.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

I wonder what changed.

Christie's scandals?

I could see that.

[Mr. Morden]

John Bolton attends a Los Angeles dinner with big GOP fundraisers, and reiterates that he's thinking about running for prez:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/01/24/bolton-2016-there-may-be-opportunity-for-hawk-in-gop-debate/

He also says he's thinking about it in this interview with Hugh Hewitt, in which he mentions that he currently has both a PAC and a Super PAC, aimed at supporting GOP congressional candidates in this year's midterms:

http://www.hughhewitt.com/ambassador-john-bolton-benghazi-iran-obama-hillarys-failure-foreign-policy/

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[eric82oslo]

John Bolton attends a Los Angeles dinner with big GOP fundraisers, and reiterates that he's thinking about running for prez:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/01/24/bolton-2016-there-may-be-opportunity-for-hawk-in-gop-debate/

He also says he's thinking about it in this interview with Hugh Hewitt, in which he mentions that he currently has both a PAC and a Super PAC, aimed at supporting GOP congressional candidates in this year's midterms:

http://www.hughhewitt.com/ambassador-john-bolton-benghazi-iran-obama-hillarys-failure-foreign-policy/

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Everyone who thinks the US is spending too little on its military, is a very, very, very, very scary thing. This is the one thing that trumps even Rick Santorum's rethoric in level of scariness.

[BaconBacon96]

While I do not believe either Peter King or John Bolton will make more than 1% in the primaries, they are likely to half each other's votes if they both run, as they both appeal to those national security Republicans.

[RogueBeaver]

Write-up of RFH's Des Moines event.

[Mr. Morden]

Hillary Clinton says she doesn't know if she'll run:

http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/hillary-clintons-biggest-regret-revealed

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Ted Cruz says he doesn't know if he'll run:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2014/01/26/ted-cruz-president-2016-christie/4912919/

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Chris Christie, in his capacity as head of the RGA, plans a big six state road trip, with more visits to come:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/christie-road-trip-is-sign-of-growing-confidence-in-possible-2016-presidential-bid/2014/01/27/3d6885de-877f-11e3-a5bd-844629433ba3_story.html?tid=hpModule_f8335a3c-868c-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394

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[Mr. Morden]

Paul says there's a 50-50 chance that he'll run for president:

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/rand-paul-2016-elections-presidential-bid-102682.html?hp=f3

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[Mr. Morden]

This story's a week old, but Mitt Romney gives an Elizabeth Warren-esque definitive denial that he might run for president again:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/01/mitt_romney_christie_obama_201.html

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[Mr. Morden]

Ben Carson says that he doesn't want to run, but that he's a patriotic citizen, and will "do whatever needs to be done":

http://www.newsmax.com/US/carson-obama-communism-speech/2014/01/23/id/548716

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[RogueBeaver]

A Christie Super PAC is in the works.

[RogueBeaver]

Biden says Clinton won't really affect his decision.

[Mr. Morden]

Politico on Paul Ryan's next act:

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/paul-ryan-reboots-102836.html?hp=f1

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Meanwhile, the latest from Donald Trump, who's been oscillating between a 2014 New York gubernatorial run and a 2016 presidential run:

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/29/trump_says_hes_ready_to_run_for_governor.html

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[Mr. Morden]

Bush on his 2016 decision:

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/jeb-bush-2016-election-102846.html?hp=r1

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He was also asked about the fact that his mother said she hopes he won't run:

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[RogueBeaver]

Ryan would have to leapfrog Brady, who has the seniority. Given that he's gotten 2 waivers already for Budget, that'd be pushing it IMO. No one has carte blanche from a caucus. If he decides not to seek W&M then the choices are very early retirement or running for POTUS. Question is how quickly he can spool up given his total lack of political staff ATM.

[Mr. Morden]

Here's a good column on what Santorum is doing to lay the groundwork for 2016:

http://news.yahoo.com/rick-santorum-2016-195944357.html

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The article also notes that he has a book coming out in April:

""Blue Collar Conservatives," which will flesh out his populist proposal for a renaissance of American manufacturing."

And in the interview, he says that he watched the most recent Hunger Games movie, and thought it was a good parable about government becoming too powerful (!).

EDIT: Also, Santorum makes an endorsement in Iowa:

http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/30/iowa-caucus-winner-santorum-endorses-in-house-race/

[Mr. Morden]

A few national Republicans are hoping to convince Rick Snyder to consider a run:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/01/28/michigan-governor-snyder-president/4961493/

Snyder himself doesn't sound interested, yet also hasn't given a firm "no":

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[Mr. Morden]

Jindal just wrote a fundraising letter for the New Hampshire GOP:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/2016-watch-bobby-jindal-uses-school-choice-to-raise-money-for-new-hampshire-gop/article/2543194

[Mr. Morden]

Jesse Ventura on 2016:

http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/jesse-ventura-talks-off-the-grid-and-running-for-president-in-2016/

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[BaconBacon96]

Ventura's been saying since 2012 that his criteria for running are full ballot access and debate participation. If he somehow manages to get onto the ballot in all 50 states, than it will still be much harder to achieve debate participation.

[Mr. Morden]

http://swampland.time.com/2014/01/29/biden-good-president/

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[RogueBeaver]

Some Pub moneymen behind Rubio.

[Mr. Morden]

Here's a story on the wide open GOP field, with a few choice quotes:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republicans-face-2016-turmoil/2014/02/01/143fe17e-8a91-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html

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[Miles]

Hillary or no Hillary, O'Malley is fixin to run.

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