A new
CNN poll is fascinating for what it reveals—-and doesn’t. No surprise that
Hillary Clinton is favored by a whopping 65 percent of Democrats with Joe Biden
way back at 10. Expectedly too, Republicans are in a gaggle with Chris Christie
(17), Paul Ryan (16), Rand Paul (13), Jeb Bush (10) and Marco Rubio (9).
At
this point, name recognition counts heavily, but just below those current
leaders is a provocative pair: Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz, each at 7
percent.
Two
senators who have occupied their seats for only months are poised to move up as
more Americans find out who they are and what they stand for—-the most
clear-cut (some would say extreme) positions on the role of government, an
issue that has been dominating—-and paralyzing-- Washington politics.
Even
as prospects for Democrats retaking the House next year remain slim, the
ascension of Cruz and Warren may sharpen serious debate about what voters two
years later, their heads cleared of Obama’s race as a distraction, want from
government.
With
professorial backgrounds, both could elevate the discussion above the Michele
Bachman-Rick Perry duh level and offer some real bite to the overarching arguments.
Fascinating
too is the prospect of the pair bringing true demographic diversity to their
parties’ national tickets (after all, the 2012 race still featured three and a
half white men).
Conceivably,
the Democratic ticket could consist of two women with the GOP fielding a pair
of Latinos. Mix or match as they may, the parties may be forced to stop
searching for compromise candidates and field choices that voters can
understand, think about and among whom they can express their clear preference.
In
2016, the middle of the road may be the most dangerous place for an ambitious
national politician to be.
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