Will 2016 be a replay of the 1964 split in the GOP ? — Then, who gets to play Barry Goldwater ?

Hillary looks like perfect casting for LBJ  —   She has all the wrinkles, can show us all her scars  and can even wear the same boxy suits

This time, the Republicans will win more than Goldwater’s six states   —   In 2016 it’ll be at least a dozen, for sure

Right now, Bobby Jindal and Ted Cruz are vying for the “I’d rather be right...” caucus of the GOP  —   Some of these really-right conservatives will start to mark their territory at the conservative gathering in Iowa this weekend 

Some commentators are already setting up a straw man, in order to derail strongly principled  conservatives like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. The argument goes something like this: "Establishment Republicans, who still live with the specter of an arch-conservative getting the GOP nomination for presidency like Barry Goldwater did in 1964, won’t let anybody like Rand Paul or Ted Cruz get the Republican nomination ( See e.g., “Rand Paul Will Not Win 2016 Presidential Election” by Christopher Spencer, 3/16/14, Guardian Liberty Voice [http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/rand-paul-will-not-win-2016-presidential-election/]; see also “Extremism” by    10/20/13,   [http://phillipsbillboard.com/?p=3363]); see also “KEY DATES IN REPUBLICAN PARTY HISTORY 52 YEARS APART-1860, 1912, 1964, 2016!” by “Ronald”,  10/7/13 [http://www.theprogressiveprofessor.com/?p=21602]).  Some have even said that  “The Republican primary electorate tends to be somewhat risk-averse. The party’s donor base is even more so. Win or lose, Republicans generally go with the safe choice in presidential candidates. The one recent exception, Barry Goldwater in 1964, almost proves the rule....” (See “How the GOP Can Win the Presidency in 2016" by W. James Anttle III, 10/2/14, The National Interest [http://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-the-gop-can-win-the-presidency-2016-11392?page=2]).

With the recent notable activities by and on behalf of Bobby Jindal in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, his name will doubtless be added to that list of unacceptable extreme conservative Republicans.

Democrats want to crown Hillary like the Democrats of 1964 did to LBJ

Although it is a stretch, Hillary Rodham Clinton could made into a reasonable resemblance of Lyndon Baines Johnson. After all, both have exhibited ruthlessness earlier in their lives; and both played background or supportive roles in the wings while very popular Democrats ruled before them: LBJ to JFK; and Hillary, both to her husband Bill, and again to Barack Obama.

The Republicans’ meeting in Iowa

Saturday, the largest gathering of potential Republican candidates to date will be in Iowa for the annual Freedom Summit, an event that some see as an informal kickoff to the 2016 presidential campaign. The Freedom Summit has been organized by Congressman  Steve King and Citizens United, and it is expected to attract over a thousand local activists from Iowa’s conservative grassroots base, largely made up of Tea party supporters, Evangelical Christians and libertarian activists (See “Conservative Gathering in Iowa Offers Platform to Several Possible 2016 Contenders” by Trip Gabriel & Ashley Parker, 1/22/15, NY Times [http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/us/politics/republican-gathering-in-iowa-offers-platform-to-several-possible-16-contenders.html?_r=0]).

According to the Times, those scheduled to speak include: former Governor and Fox host Mike Huckabee of Arkansas; former governor Rick Perry of Texas; Senator Ted Cruz of Texas; Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin; former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania; and  retired neurosurgeon and hospital administrator Ben Carson. The Times article made much of the fact that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie would be attending the Freedom Summit, but that Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney were likely to take a pass on the event.  Interestingly, the Times did not make any mention of Bobby Jindal whatsoever.

Bobby Jindal

Fresh off of Bobby Jindal’s momentous appearance in London, where he denounced the practice of “Muslim No-Go Zones” in various European countries, Jindal’s folks have just opened a new PAC [ Is that an even dozen yet ?] for the candidate that says: “If I were to run for president, it’s because I believe in our country, the American dream is at jeopardy...." [maybe that’s how they say it back where Jindal was conceived] (See “Jindal Supporters, Readying for 2016 Run, Launch New PAC” by Melissa Clyne, 1/23/15, Newsmax
[http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Bobby-Jindal-pac-presidency-2016/2015/01/23/id/620298/]).

According to the Melissa Clyne story in Newsmax this morning, “Supporters of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have registered a political action committee with the Federal Elections Commission in preparation for the Pelican State’s leader to seek the presidency in 2016, according to MSNBC. ***  "We want to be prepared if Gov. Jindal wants to run for president," said Brad Todd, lead consultant for the super PAC "Believe Again." "Our job is to raise money and communicate ideas. We’re very confident that it will be well received by donors."

Ted Cruz

Even though Ted Cruz will be a prominent participant in the Freedom Summit in Iowa this weekend, a recent article showcases why his presidential candidacy is such a problem in and for the GOP.

According to Ruben Navarrette Jr., “... At a time when the GOP is hemorrhaging support from Hispanics, would nominating Cruz provide a solution—or, given his extreme rightwing politics, make the problem worse? ...” (See “Is Ted Cruz ‘Post-Hispanic’?” by Ruben Navarrette Jr., 1/22/15, The Daily Beast [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/22/is-ted-cruz-post-hispanic.html]). The article went on to note “Ted [Cruz] knows about being attacked on a personal level. In May 2013, he was treated like a piñata by Bill Richardson. The Democratic former New Mexico governor accused the freshman senator of being ‘anti-immigration’ and even insisted that he didn’t think that Ted ‘should be defined as a Hispanic.’...”

But of course, this is Ruben Navarrette’s article’s money line “So how “Hispanic” is Ted? For those Americans who believe that President Obama is ‘post racial,’ it’s tempting to say that Ted is ‘post-Hispanic.’...”