2016 American Presidential Primaries: Bizarro Politics

REPUBLICANS-

Jeb Bush- Former Governor of Florida and the latest of the Bush family dynasty to run for President, Bush is considered to be the textbook establishment figure in the Republican Party. His campaign stresses both his effective leadership and liberal record as Governor. Having amassed an enormous war chest with backing from liberal and moderate establishment groups, he has come under fire by the left for being a shill for Wall Street. Other sources of loathing from progressive activists are directed towards his support for charter schools and his opposition to immigration reform.

Ben Carson- The author and neurosurgeon rose to liberal stardom after criticizing President Obama in a 2013 speech. His close connections with Black Lives Matter, his inspiring personal story, and outsider roots have made himself a popular choice among blacks and grassroots progressives. However, he is a bit of an inexperienced lightweight in foreign policy, a shortcoming that he has acknowledged. Carson has been subject to controversy, comparing President Obama’s partial privatizations of the NHS to slavery, and for believing in the Black Egyptian hypothesis.

Chris Christie- Governor of New Jersey famous for his combative personality. During his time as Governor, Christie has gathered a record of bipartisanship, though he has been attacked by liberals for being far too moderate. He promises to provide decisive and inclusive leadership, which he attacked President Obama for lacking. However, his reputation has been tarnished with the onset of several scandals during his Governorship.

Ted Cruz- This Texas Senator and self-proclaimed democratic socialist is considered to be the firebrand face of the insurgent Occupy-wing of the Republican Party. He rose to fame with his 2014 filibuster of Obama’s NHS privatization law. Campaigning as a Washington outsider crusading for secularism and separation of church and state, he has become a favorite among cultural liberals and college campuses across the nation. Cruz’s non-interventionist foreign policy focuses on contrasting itself with Obama’s “imperialist adventurism”.

Carly Fiorina- Author, non-profit activist, and former President of the AFL-CIO, Fiorina is positioning herself as the worker-friendly candidate in the coming election. As the sole female in the Republican camp, she has cast herself as the progressive alternative to Hillary Clinton. In addition, she has cited her union leadership as important preparation in negotiating for a compassionate and diplomatic foreign policy. However, her time at the AFL-CIO has been criticized for her supposedly incompetent leadership.

Lindsey Graham- One of the leading moderate establishment figures in the Senate, Graham is a foreign policy wonk with extensive experience during his time in the Senate. Notable for being a strong advocate for non-interventionism and anti-militarism, he has called President Obama’s foreign policy “an abysmal failure”, and currently proposes the creation of a Department of Peace. In addition to his foreign policy focus, Graham is also a firm advocate for gun control.

Mike Huckabee- Former Governor Mike Huckabee originally ran for President in 2008, won Iowa, but ultimately lost the primaries. He’s having another go at it, continuing his reputation as a robust social progressive and outspoken atheist. His mix of social progressivism with his rather business-friendly economic agenda somewhat contrasts with many of the other candidates.

Bobby Jindal- Former Louisiana Governor Jindal is another prominent secularist in the Republican field, though he trails behind in popularity to other social progressives such as Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee. His foreign policy message of withdrawal from Middle Eastern involvement is fairly mainstream within the Republican Party.

John Kasich- The current Governor of Ohio is currently highlighting his record of fiscal liberalism and support for progressive causes as Governor. After overseeing Ohio’s economic recovery, he pledges to bring economic growth to America with greater government investment and new jobs programs. So far, Kasich is positioning himself as the establishment favorite and the moderate “adult in the room.” From the left, he has been attacked for his support for Obama’s NHS privatizations.

George Pataki- The former Governor of New York is the sole true social conservative and the only pro-life candidate in the Republican field. Clearly the most centrist of the GOP candidates, Pataki is having troubles finding a solid of support as the influence of establishment conservative Republicans is continuing to dwindle.

Rand Paul- The Kentucky Senator is a member of the socially-moderate-but-economically-leftist Populist wing of the Republican Party. The son of former presidential candidate Ron Paul, Rand hopes to continue as torchbearer of the Populist Republicans. He is by far the most hawkish candidate on foreign policy, and at the same time has been scrutinized by Populist internationalists for supporting cuts to military spending while in Congress. Also a member of the Occupy movement and a self-proclaimed socialist, Rand Paul has a rather problematic relationship with establishment figures.

Rick Perry- The former Texas Governor is his state’s longest serving executive with fifteen years of experience. He is another recurring figure in the Presidential race after previously running in 2012. Within his own state, he is notable for his legalization of gay marriage and his strides towards passing gun control legislation. However, Perry is rather gaffe-prone has been indicted by grand jury in 2014 on state corruption charges.

Marco Rubio- Cuban-American Rubio has been Florida Senator since 2011 and has gathered a reputation of solid liberalism in both economic and social issues. He has been key on the Republican side in spearheading bipartisan immigration reform and pledges to provide a legal pathway to citizenship for undocumented migrants. Rubio enjoys large support from establishment Republicans and has become a proponent for a non-interventionist foreign policy. In addition to that, he has criticized President Obama for his militarist policy in the Middle East and strongly desires a repeal of the partial NHS privatizations.

Rick Santorum- The former Pennsylvania Senator is running once more after a failed but close bid in 2012. His social justice-oriented policies are considered to be the by far the most progressive in the Republican field, with planks including hard-drug decriminalization, abortion-on-demand, and full-blanket amnesty. Santorum claims the strongest experience in foreign policy, and promises a gradual withdrawal from the Middle East. Though accused of being a closet communist due to his PCI-affiliated kin in Italy, Santorum has raised eyebrows by leftists for his support for free trade and opposition to protectionism.

Donald Trump- Trump is currently the CEO of the Trump Foundation, a global charity organization. His outspoken, brash, and bombastic style is known for formulating blunt and controversial commentary. Among his more emphasized positions include his proposals for full-blanket amnesty. One source of controversy is his passionate stance in favor of open borders. Considered to be the most unpredictable candidate of the election, Trump has brought upon the anger of the establishment and the wide support of Hispanics, Muslims, and other minority groups.

Scott Walker- The Governor of Wisconsin is famous for his whole-hearted support for organized labor and for his battles with the private sector over his unionization campaigns and statewide “trust-busting”. He is considered to be a progressive favorite among establishment figures for his executive experience, blue-collar credentials, and social liberalism without the cultural-warrior baggage. As a result, he has managed to find a bridge of support between the Republican establishment and the Occupy movement.

DEMOCRATS-

Lincoln Chafee- The former Senator and Governor of Rhode Island has had a past of constantly shifting in party affiliation between Republican, Democrat, and Independent. His current political manifestation is as a centrist Democrat. Despite his moderate credentials, Chafee has stressed conservative positions such as his opposition to same-sex marriage, minimum wage increases, and heightened taxes.

Hillary Clinton- Former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State, Clinton is praised for her extensive political experience. A policy wonk pledging to fight for small-town America with a message of compassionate conservatism, she is considered to be the mainstream establishment favorite, and was predicted by pundits be the “crowned” nominee. Clinton is currently embroiled in several scandals from her time as Secretary of State, and faces criticism from unimpressed right-wingers for not being conservative enough.

Martin O’Malley- The former Governor of Maryland is focusing his campaign on his youth, his conservative record as Governor, and extensive executive experience. One of his main conservative positions include his calls for deregulation of the private sector. Some pundits see O’Malley as a right-wing challenger to Clinton.

Bernie Sanders- Formerly an Independent, Senator Sanders has established himself as a free-market conservative darling and strong critic of big government and entitlement spending. He has made a name for himself rallying in favor of “government small enough to drown in your bathtub”. His economic agenda entails massive privatizations of state assets (including a complete privatization of the NHS), drastic spending reductions, and the elimination of numerous government programs and agencies such as the Department of Education. Criticized for his economic radicalism and lack of foreign policy experience, Sanders is still considered to be the most hawkish of candidates apart from Rand Paul.

Jim Webb- Like Chafee, former Senator Jim Webb is a moderate lawmaker with a history of party switching. Webb holds heterodox views from the rest of the party, marked by his support for gun control, increasing taxes on the wealthy, and his belief in climate change. An expert on military affairs, Webb’s foreign policy is considerably more hawkish that the other Democratic candidates, save for Sanders. However, Webb may struggle to find support as anti-populist business liberals are a dying breed in the Democratic Party.

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