Your guide to the 2016 presidential election primaries
The mechanics of the presidential election are very simple, but it is important to understand that the race unofficially begins one day after the 2012 election when analysts and observers kick start the process of narrowing down the group of candidates to ultimately one per party.
Party affiliation, policy stances, age, temperament, personal attributes, family, elected positions (both past and current) and a candidate’s level of success are some of the factors that determined the potential 2016 candidates. Next, a formal announcement is made when the candidate actually decides to run for president. Even though this announcement is mostly a media affair, it is typically held in a personally memorable location. At this stage, we can begin to look at which candidates have the best chance to end up being the next President. Beginning in February, the delegates of the of political parties will begin to decide the party’s nominee for president (this is called the presidential primaries). These elections start in February and conclude in June and with individual states holding their primaries on different dates. Michigan will hold its primary election on Tuesday, March 8.
The list of presidential candidates for 2016 is incredible long for both the Democrat and the Republican parties along with a great number of independent or third party candidates. It is a sad, but near fact in our nation that independent candidates have little chance of getting elected, but if you are interested in them please look them up.
The three top Democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders. The current vice president (47th) Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. received President Barack Obama’s “blessing” to make a bid for the White house, according to a senior Democrat. He stands to reduce gun violence and raise the living standards for the middle class Americans.
His fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton is also a major player in the game for the Democratic nomination. Hillary is an American politician who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State under Obama (2009-2013), she is also the wife of the 42nd president Bill Clinton, making her the First Lady from 1993 to 2001. Also in between these two times she was a senator from New York from 2001 to 2009. As president she will promote gun violence prevention, health care, immigration reform, education, LGBT equality, national security, small businesses and women’s rights.
Another Democrat that has recently shot up in the polls is Bernie Sanders (74 years old) is an American politician and the junior United States Senator from Vermont. As president, Senator Bernie Sanders will reduce income and wealth inequality by not only demanding that the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share in taxes but also a whole list of other ways, create decent paying jobs, and he will sign comprehensive immigration reform into law to bring over 11 million undocumented workers out of the shadows.
Of the 15 declared candidates, Three Republican candidates that are polling well right now are Jeb Bush, Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina. The 43rd Governor of Florida (1999-2007), John Ellis “Jeb” Bush, is not only a politician, but also an American businessman. Bush comes from a long line of politicians as he is the second son of former President George H. W. Bush, a brother of former President George W. Bush, and also the grandson of the late Senator Prescott Sheldon Bush. As president Jeb would stand for opportunity for all Americans, the hispanic population and a Reagan-inspired tax reform plan.
Another interesting republican candidate is Donald Trump who was a real estate developer, television personality, business author, and now a political candidate. If Trump was elected to be president he would institute a full immigration reform including a wall across the southern border and improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans.
Another Republican candidate that will be mentioned is another female candidate named Carly Fiorina who was a businesswoman as CEO of HP, making her the first women to lead a Fortune 500 business and now she is a politician. She personally opposes granting amnesty to illegal immigrants and she says that she will vote against every tax increase and cut wasted tax increases instead.
Also remember that these are not all of the candidates there a boat load more. I encourage everyone to not only vote but to educate yourself on the candidates, so you can be informed when you vote.
