Jeb Bush insists he's not a presidential candidate.  He once slipped, telling the truth to a reporter: "I'm running for president," and "corrected" himself with the qualification, "...if I run..."
     Campaign finance law, taken as seriously in America as prosecuting criminal bankers, allows up to $2,700 per individual contribution to someone who hasn't yet declared a presidential run.  Bush has so far received millions in contributions, the price per plate for his dinner speeches far exceeding the legal limit.  Thus, he's a lawbreaker.  But so what?  This is America.  He's rich.  Who gives a shit? The Federal Election Commission should do something about it, like shout it across the airwaves, investigate, get the U.S. Attorney General's office to prosecute him, but so far it's required the efforts of freelancers to get anyone to give a damn. 
     Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin has also delayed announcing his candidacy, probably for the same reason as Bush: to fill up the war chest before the big battles ensue. 
     Rick Perry, though, just announced his candidacy from an airplane hangar in Addison, Texas, big airplane as a backdrop.  Perry is a military veteran with three years (1974-1977) in the Air Force, piloting a C-130.  I'm glad there's at least two candidates with military backgrounds, the other being Lindsay Graham.  The way politicians talk about vets, without doing anything constructive for them, you'd think more would've been willing in the past to put their lives on the line, rather than declaiming about their hoped-for future presidencies when they'll send troops to their deaths.
     When he announced his candidacy, Lindsay Graham's chief message, when he wasn't attacking Obama, sounded like the words of a defense contractor thrilled by new business stimulated by the rise of ISIS, the overall wreck of the Middle East, and the lurking menace of the Ayatollahs.
     Rick Perry started his speech saying 60 million people died in World War Two.  Doom and bombast characterized his and Graham's speeches.  Neither one will win the presidency, I predict, because Americans, ever younger and younger, are growing tired of war, of fear-based politics, but they do want the economy functioning properly again.  Bernie Sanders, also a candidate, speaks mostly of the economy, of shrinking the wealth gap between rich and poor.  To the surprise of news media commentators who dismissed him a month ago, Sanders is bringing in lots of contributions (legally).
     Hillary Clinton, another candidate, has slipped a great deal in polls, a recent one showing she's as unpopular now as she was in 2001 when she vacated the White House and complained of "being broke."
     For many, Sanders is more popular and appealing than Clinton, because the latter is so obviously full of shit.  She spends much campaigning time "listening" to constituents, but we really should listen to her and read her body language.
     When Carly Fiorina was in the news far more than she is now, I came up with a slogan (for bumper stickers, signs, or whatnot) to help her out:

          I'm Fucked Up For Fiorina!

     Last night, bored while trying to get to sleep, I wrote down some more:

          Disappoint A Cuban For Marco Rubio

          Let Chris Christie Stop Traffic In Your City

          Tease Gays For Huckabee

          Get Dumber With Scott Walker

          Mail Your Shit To Donald Trump

          Jeb Bush: The New Face Of Horror In The 21st Century

     To conclude with something unrelated, Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.  James appears to have proved his one-man king of the court status, elevating the Cavaliers, his former team before departing for Miami (where he and that team enjoyed a great deal of success), to a possible overall victory featuring the prodigal superstar.  From what I've heard, Cleveland is a deeply fucked up city with a horrible police department.  There hasn't been a title win in Cleveland's history for many decades.  Some would say they need this, that Lebron will bring it to them, but will the Cavaliers, even if they sweep the series, fix the bad relations between citizenry and police?  If they lose, will there be riots?  If they win, will there be riots? 
     Get fucked up for Fiorina.

                                                                                 Vic Neptune