I want to begin by thanking Danny for extending me the opportunity to publish content for The Sellers Group. Being around him every day as a teammate/friend for two years was a blessing and helped me grow as a football player and person.
Man, we’re getting old. I swear it seems like yesterday we all tuned in to watch President Obama’s inauguration on that frigid January day back in 2009. Nonetheless, here we are 8 years later and it is time to see who will be the next POTUS. As such, I will be assuming the role of resident election expert for The Sellers Group and publishing content under that pseudonym. Full disclosure: “expert” in this context means that I will graduate in May with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. Since Charlie Cook wouldn’t email Danny back he went to the backup plan and enlisted me for the service.
I will be publishing election content often, touching on a wide variety of election issues, outlining where the candidates from both parties stand, and offering predictions/outlook as we go forward. This particular post will differ slightly. The purpose of this post is to get the reader familiar with the election timeline and introduce some of the leading candidates. If you are confused as to why the random states of Iowa or New Hampshire have been all over the news, look no further than this post.
Leading Candidates, Democrats
Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, Senator, First Lady of the US, First Lady of Arkansas, and verrrrrrrry nearly the President of the United States if not for the flawless Obama campaign of 2008, would be the first female elected President
Bernie Sanders, self described democratic-socialist Senator from Vermont, seeking a “political revolution” in the United States
Leading Candidates, Republicans
Donald Trump, he’s not a businessman he’s a business………..mannnnn, has stirred up controversy due to his propensity to outwardly express xenophobic and racist views
Marco Rubio, Senator from Florida, far and away the best spoken/best debater in the GOP field
Ted Cruz, Senator from Texas, once singlehandedly shut down the federal government by throwing a fit over Obamacare, most likely candidate to read the Constitution every night before bed
Dates to Know
Feb. 1, Iowa Caucuses:
You may have noticed that Iowa has received far more media coverage and attention from candidates than any other state. This is due to the fact that it serves as the first official state primary as well as the first real test of the candidates, if you will. The caucuses essentially provide the RNC and the DNC with information regarding which of their candidates have been able to foster grassroots support, get people to the polls, and, of course, win an election (albeit an election consisting only of voters from their party from one state). Further implications are that we will likely see numerous Republicans (and maybe poorly polling Democrat Martin O’Malley) drop out following the caucuses. GOP candidates such as Rand Paul, for example, have claimed that their low polling isn’t accurate because they will get supporters out to vote. However, they can’t make excuses for a poor Iowa Caucus performance. As Rasheed Wallace says, ball don’t lie.
Feb.9, New Hampshire Primary:
Serves as the 2nd major test of the candidates after Iowa. Expect the field to significantly narrow following the first two primaries. Moreover, this year, the two aforementioned primaries are particularly important. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have been able to foster a great deal of enthusiasm behind their respective campaigns. However, will people actually cast a vote for the two uniquely odd candidates? Or will voters reaffirm the status quo by choosing a more typical candidate, such as Hillary Clinton or Marco Rubio? The first two primaries will help answer that question.
Mar. 1, Super Tuesday:
Super Tuesday is probably the single most important day leading up to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. On this day, more states hold their primary election than any other day leading up to the nominating conventions. While the first few primaries are important tests, Super Tuesday is paramount due to the fact that it shows which candidates perform well in nationwide elections that take into consideration geographic diversity.
July 18th-28th, Rep. National Convention & Dem. National Convention
The nominating conventions for each party when the all of the elected delegates converge to chose which two candidates will face off in the general election. I’ll put up $50 against anyone who says it won’t be Clinton v. Rubio in the general election.
If you are in search of a good website to find news, I strongly suggest RealClearPolitics.com. This website aggregates a wide variety of different news stories from a wide variety of different political viewpoints on an easy to navigate home page. You can click on stories that interest you and see the most up to date polling for the election.