The First Day of the Race for the 2016 Democratic Presidential Nomination

So first off, that title is pretty misleading. On one hand, this race won't begin for quite some time. You're probably not going to see anyone declaring a bid for president until Fall 2014 at the earliest. But in another sense, this race has already been going on for quite some time. In fact, there have been news stories concerning the viable players dating all the way back to 2009! I guess that's the thing about presidential politics, it's never ending. We're always just four years away from another cycle and a solid campaign apparatus can take years to build. Just ask Mitt Romney, whose near decade of running for president finally came to a close last night. Or better yet, ask Rick Perry, who thought he could hop into the mix with little preparation and steamroll everybody. Oops! Turns out there's a reason why these things start so early now.

Why I am writing about this? Well, I'm obsessed with politics. And as much as I hate to admit it, it's the horse race stuff that I really enjoy the most. I was inspired by Christian Heinze who started a blog called GOP12.com after the 2008 election and has been writing about Republican presidential aspirations ever since. So, why not a blog about the Democratic politicians who are now hurtling towards their date with national political destiny (or obscurity) in 2016? 

With the 2012 presidential election officially over, the first big question of 2016 has been settled. The Democrats who run in 2016 will have a shadow running-mate, incumbent President Barack Obama. Sure, the lucky candidate will get to pick his or her own VP nominee. But they will have a much bigger presence stalking them at every turn of the campaign. If Obama's second term goes well, this means a wind at their back. Candidates will be lining up to claim the mantle of Obama's heir. If things don't go so well, then a lot of primary debate answers will start with "I support the President, but..." This will obviously shape the race in terms of whether people either in or closely tied to the administration will have a chance. 

So yes, a grand new political horse race has begun with all the bluster and bullocks that goes with it. With 0% of the results in, it is too early to call who the winner of the Iowa caucus is. But you can be sure that moment will be upon us sooner than you think.