THE clock is ticking on Barack Obama’s time as President of the United States.
The next batch of hopefuls are jostling for the race in 2016.
Former First lady and secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the leading contender for the Democrats, though she could face stiff opposition from current Vice-President Joe Biden — if he decides to run.
The Republican ticket is almost anyone’s. Jeb Bush — brother and son to former presidents George W and George H respectively — was the favourite until that human wrecking ball, Donald Trump, blasted himself into the race.
Check our handy guide to all the runners here.
Two other Democrat contenders, who are given little chance are:
Martin O’Malley
SLOGAN: Rebuild the American dream.
FIRST LINE OF CV: Former Governor of Maryland.
LIKELY TO APPEAL TO: Minimum wage workers; Latinos; Clinton-haters; Catholics.
FAMOUS FOR: Serving as the partial inspiration for a character on The Wire; comparative youth (he’s 52); kicking off his campaign with a video that featured him playing Hail To The Chief on guitar; driving down crime statistics in Baltimore when he was mayor.
VOTER PITCH: With solid left-wing beliefs (he’s pro same-sex marriage and pro gun control), O’Malley has built his campaign around his youth, largely in opposition to Clinton.
CHANCE OF SUCCESS: Slim - but in interviews he has also pointed out that former Democrat Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were also considered long shots when they began their campaigns.
MEMORABLE QUOTE: “Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter.” It sounds innocuous enough, but O’Malley later had to apologise for the remark, which some considered insensitive in the wake of the “Black lives matter” social justice campaign.
Lincoln Chafee
SLOGAN: Fresh ideas for America.
FIRST LINE OF CV: Former Governor of Rhode Island.
LIKELY TO APPEAL TO: Conservative-leaning Democrats.
FAMOUS FOR: Being a former Republican, he was once dubbed “the most liberal Republican in the Senate”; succeeding his father as Senator for Rhode Island after his father’s death; calling for the adoption of the metric system.
VOTER PITCH: A maverick, or the mouse that roared? Chaffee is pro-choice and has opposed the Iraq war, but his chequered political past makes him a curious candidate for many.
CHANCE OF SUCCESS: Slim - he only registered as a Democrat in May 2013. Also, no President has ever come from Rhode Island.
MEMORABLE QUOTE: “America loves an underdog.”
Well, the man is an optimist, if nothing else.
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