Back in April of 2014, when everyone was still riding the Chris Christie bandwagon (despite the BridgeGate and Sandygate scandals), I wrote why Jeb Bush will win the 2016 presidential nomination. Eight months later I wrote "Here Comes Bush v Clinton 2.0." Almost a year later it's still Jeb Bush.
Scott Walker and Rick Perry are already gone. For all intents and purposes, Ben Carson "Muslim-ed" his way out of the race last weekend. And it's just a matter of time before the hope and money dries up for Rick Santorum, John Kasich, Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee and the rest of the 2nd string clowns. That leaves Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina and Bush. Rest assured, the whorish, sycophantic lust affair that extremist troglodytes have with Trump will soon end, as will Fiorina's revisionist history campaign designed to botox away the deep scars of her dreadful corporate record (read Joe Nocera's excellent Tuesday NY Times op-ed on Trump and Fiorina's "Snake Oil Sales"). Stick a fork in Cinderella and Shrek.
Watching last week's second Republican debate made it clear that Bush was the only adult in the room (except when he seemed a little too sophomorically excited about receiving Trump's adulation with that awkward hand slap). And while the other candidates' poll numbers are gyrating all over the place like a cheap stripper, Bush is holding steady near 10 percent. As more candidates implode and drop out, his numbers will steadily rise. And with over $100-million raised to-date, he's got nothing but time in this war of attrition. Take it to the bank: Gen. Jeb Custer will be the right's last man standing.
And what about the Democrats? A new CNN poll shows Hillary Clinton dealing with her Bernie Sanders "problem" by taking a commanding 42 percent to 24 percent lead. Joe Biden's a likable guy with a stellar public service record, but if he enters the race his chances of beating Hil are about as good as mine. Martin O'Malley and Jim Webb? Yawn. Nationally, Clinton has the support of an overwhelming majority of Democrats, especially women. No one's beating her. Period. End of story.
So yes, it will be Bush v. Clinton, again. Just another dynastic retread, right? Wrong. Hillary Clinton stands to make history as the first woman president of the United States. That makes this next election not only different, but incredibly exciting, inspiring and a proud moment for all Americans, even Republicans, even if they don't understand and appreciate the monumental significance of it all.