(CNN) - We've still got seven weeks to go until Election Day 2012, but early moves for the 2016 presidential election seem to be underway.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a possible contender for the next Democratic presidential nomination, gave the keynote address at the 35th annual steak fry put on by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa.
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The steak fry, hosted by Iowa's five-term senator, is a big annual fundraiser for the state's Democratic party, and is an important stage for Democrats thinking of making a run for the White House (then Sen. Barack Obama of neighboring Illinois gave they keynote address in 2006) in the state that traditionally holds the first contest in the presidential caucus and primary calendar.
"That's not what I'm doing here. I'm here because my friend Sen. Harkin asked me to come," O'Malley told reporters Sunday, downplaying presidential ambitions, before addressing Democratic activists gathered at the event.
READ MORE: For Democrats, 2016 jockeying begins over breakfast
O'Malley, a two term governor and chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, is a frequent surrogate for President Obama's re-election campaign. O'Malley, along with Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, made appearances at a breakfast hosted by Iowa's convention delegation during the Democratic National Convention, held two weeks ago in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Iowa is also a crucial battleground state in the general election. Monday Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential nominee, make separate campaign appearances in Iowa.
From CNN Politics
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2016? I guess the Democrats are already looking for someone to run against Romney.
This is a good reminder to so many Democrats who are stuck on a story line and just assume the nomination automatically goes to Hillary Clinton in 2016. As though it's the prize she gets for not getting it in 08. As though she automatically wants it.
People should remember that Hillary went into the campaign in 07 with the full weight of 'inevitability' riding on her shoulders. She tried to play it that way too until the sheer velocity of Obama's campaign forced her to pivot. It created a lot of bitterness among some of her supporters who thought she had something taken away from her that was rightly hers.
But dynasties shouldn't be so readily embraced. Democrats should continue to look to new talent like this. Actually, I think Hillary Clinton would agree.
He can only steal ideas from the Republican who is in office before him. But seriously Dems: Please anybody but O'Malley! Go Hilliary or Rahm. Heck Joe the Plumber or any of the 99%. Just someone other than O'Malley.
Clinton was impeached for lying to congress.
Why do you still trust what he says?
My 2016 list goes as follows:
Clinton/Cuomo
Warner/Castro
Warren/Webb
Republicans are afraid of him. He must be doing something correct. ahha ha ha ha ha ha
Andrew Cuomo 2016!!!!!!!!!
I don't doubt O'Malley has the ambition, but he does lack the 'it' factor, that element that just seems to launch him into the highest esteem. Obama has 'it.' Clinton has 'it.' Reagan had 'it.' Even Bush, at the least, came off as naturalistic, if not quite sincere. O'Malley simply doesn't have it. On that note, neither does Romney.
If Democrats stop the culture of enabling with their expansive social programs and "spreading the wealth" mentality that only furthers the growing culture of "leechism" and "white trash", then I will gladly consider their party's nominee in 2016.
My prediction: Hillary Clinton vs Condi Rice
Hillary is not electable, now or ever. If she had been the nominee in 2008, McCain would have won easily. That is why she was not offered the VP slot then or now.
Bob: hahahahahaha! Thanks so much for my morning laugh! President Romeny? Hahahahahahahahahah!
@bob, LOL. It won't be the twit and unless your lord and savior who you folks don't seem to care much for except to slam Democrats and show your anti women craziness shows up as a candidate good luck for the next few elections.
Our governor might have increased taxes for some MD residents and he is not too popular about that but at least he did something to improve the economy in MD. Your twit is a useless waste of oxygen.
You'd bully bishop has been running and failing for decades. I guess "it's NOT his time" still.
No point in hiding it, 2016 will be Clinton/Warren.
This article is beyond a joke. O'Malley has his sights set on turning Maryland into the wasteland that is present-day California, and he's well on his way to accomplishing it.
But nothing would surprise me these days. O'Malley is to Maryland as Obama is to the United States, and almost half of our fellow citizens gladly embrace doing nothing to stop our fiscal ruin as a country, so why should I expect any different approach in 2016?
He'd be the PERFECT Democrat Party nominee! He raised taxes and fees in our state EIGHTEEN times since he took office. He said that "he had to make the hard choices".
Yeah. REAL hard choice that. Take the money I worked for and earned and give it to someone who doesn't have the same work ethic that I do.
And his father was Governor here,,, he tryid to go for the precidency here being an foreign Mexican born????,,, so Maybe Ronmey can try that,,, if not go for a position as Governor in MEXICO he has experience on that
So politicians have nothing better to do than "daydream" about who is going to run in the next election? Sad...we deserve better than this. I could easily see monkeys doing a better job than our current group of elected officals.
bipartisan77
If Democrats stop the culture of enabling with their expansive social programs and "spreading the wealth" mentality that only furthers the growing culture of "leechism" and "white trash", then I will gladly consider their party's nominee in 2016.
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If Republicans stop the culture of "I'm rich, screw you" with their dissapearing social programs and "consolidating the wealth" mentality that only furthers the growing culture of "elitism" and "you people", then I will gladly consider their party's nominee in 2016. Also their obsession with governing other peoples' ethics, moralities, and behavior as if they've got a lock on them needs to go
See how easy that was bipartisan?
Hillary vs Jeb in 2016. Hillary by 5 percentage points.
Hey, Bob, we already have someone to run against Romney; his name is Barack Obama, and after he wins in 2012 he will be ineligible to run again, so we'll have to choose someone else to continue his great work. My personal favorite is Hillary Clinton. If she run, I have no doubt she'll win the nomination and the general election with ease. She will become the first woman President and she will succeed the first African-American President in 2017, if she runs. That would be a truly great and historic day.
Okay Al-NY, how about this: Seeing that there really are two ideologies operating here, how about dividing the country down the middle. All the Republicans with their growing culture of "elitist" wealth" and ethics and morality on one side and all the Democrats with their expansive social programs, abortions, and gay lifestyle on the other side. Sounds like a fair deal to me. It will be interesting to see which civilization lasts longer.
Please!!! Let's get through this election, wait a while (maybe a few years?) then start talking about 2016. Thank you.
As Joe Biden will (hopefully) consider himself to be too old to run for President in 2016, there is no heir apparent waiting in the wings like Mondale and Gore. Of course, they are probably NOT the best examples in this case.
Oh, yes, and on the Democrats' side they will want gun control. That will help the Republicans when their nation is thriving and the Democrats want entitlement to the Republicans' wealth.