Couple of things worth updating in this thread:
First, everyone's favorite Southern belle Lindsey Graham announced anexploratory more folksy testing-the-waters committee for a 2016 presidential bid. Sounds like he's seriously contemplating running, or just has the vapors. Senator Graham is very close to the John McCain camp in the GOP, very hawkish on foreign policy.
Democratic Party
Jim Webb (former VA-Sen)
Republican Party
Jeb Bush (former FL-Gov)
Lindsey Graham (SC-Sen)
A few others have strongly and publicly announced interest, including three familiar faces: Mitt Romney (has jumped in the last two weeks to fight Bush for donors, and aggressively), Rick Santorum (who, as JR points out, is acting like a candidate without a committee or formal campaign), and Mike Huckabee (who quit his show, seems to be seriously putting together a campaign but hasn't announced). They will be put on the list when they announce a committee, but I expect that to happen relatively soon.
Second, we might see several candidates announce after April 1st to avoid first quarter donor disclosure to their exploratory committees. There is a good chance if candidates don't announce early, say, by February 1st, they will probably wait until April for this reason.
Unless they just don't care about the donor disclosure thing.
First, everyone's favorite Southern belle Lindsey Graham announced an
Democratic Party
Jim Webb (former VA-Sen)
Republican Party
Jeb Bush (former FL-Gov)
Lindsey Graham (SC-Sen)
A few others have strongly and publicly announced interest, including three familiar faces: Mitt Romney (has jumped in the last two weeks to fight Bush for donors, and aggressively), Rick Santorum (who, as JR points out, is acting like a candidate without a committee or formal campaign), and Mike Huckabee (who quit his show, seems to be seriously putting together a campaign but hasn't announced). They will be put on the list when they announce a committee, but I expect that to happen relatively soon.
Second, we might see several candidates announce after April 1st to avoid first quarter donor disclosure to their exploratory committees. There is a good chance if candidates don't announce early, say, by February 1st, they will probably wait until April for this reason.
Unless they just don't care about the donor disclosure thing.