A Tale of Two Pachyderms -- CNN highlighting the rift in the Republicans heading into 2016

Keara Vickers

keara.vickers@gmail.com

@kearavickers

CNN’s election page has been (understandably) devoid of content. The votes are in and the Obama family renewed their lease at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for another four years.

Now the question for the Republicans is how to move forward. CNN has made much ado about the stalwart GOP leadership violently rejecting Romney’s post-election remarks about Obama’s “gifts” to his voting blocs. The former Republican front-runners have come out of the woodwork to criticize Romney’s campaigning. Newt Gingrich railed against Romney’s comments, calling them “insulting.”

Rick Santorum said the campaign was run on the defensive and that Romney lost because he didn’t come out swinging to defend his personal beliefs. 

Relive? I'll politely decline.

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal called the gift gaff “totally unhelpful” in trying to rebrand the Republican party. Jindal has his own important role to play in the next four years -- he’s an early contender for a 2016 bid.

And speaking of 2016, there’s no rest for the wicked as speculation for the next horses to race is already off and running.

Paul Ryan isn’t quite out of the spotlight yet, as many have been highlighting him as the right candidate to pull a GOP win in 2016. He’s taken his VP loss in stride and with much less of the sore-loser attitude the “gifts” comment. Ryan is returning to his leadership role in the House armed with a heavy helping of political clout and a good chance at retaining the votes of the fiscal conservative and tea party Republicans. 

Florida senator Marco Rubio is an up-and-coming Republican rock star with a good chance at making a bid for 2016. 

The question that really should be asked, though, is not who will run in 2016 but why do we care already? Its almost like waiting for the new season of your favorite reality show -- just like we couldn’t wait to see what Snooki and JWow got into on the Jersey Shore, we’re already anticipating the next round of mudslinging. As it is, we’ve got a president still fighting a limping economy that could soon take a long walk off of a steep fiscal cliff, an escalating conflict in the middle east and enough scandal in the CIA to keep anyone busy. Maybe we should all step back and report on how the man in the White House is dealing with today’s problems rather than speculate on who will solve 2016s.

Someone had better change that "2" to a "6." I'm sure the new page will be up soon.