With the first 2016 presidential primaries and caucuses less than a year away, a dozen or so Republican hopefuls are testing the waters for a possible run. As of this writing, the RealClearPolitics (RCP) average of five major polls shows Jeb Bush first at 14.2 percent, Mike Huckabee second at 11.2 percent, Rand Paul third at 9.6 percent, Ben Carson fourth at 8.8 percent, Chris Christie fifth at 8.2 percent, and Scott Walker sixth at 7.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the RCP average shows Democrat hopeful Hillary Clinton cruising comfortably ahead at 59.1percent, Joe Biden at 12.4 percent, and Elizabeth Warren at 11.6 percent.  
Curiously, Clinton has lately been coy about it all, despite her earlier comments about deciding in 2014 whether to run or not to run in 2016. As I understand it, she is holding off on declaring her candidacy until July or August of this year.
The only thing for certain at this point is it’s way too early to tell what will happen between now and 2016. The dustbin of history is littered with front runners from both parties who became also-rans in the grueling gauntlet of gaining their party’s nomination and winning the presidency in the November elections.
The problem with most political polls is they are pitifully poor predictors of ultimate political outcomes. Remember, Hillary Clinton was riding high in many of the polls during her 2008 campaign for president. Then, an obscure upstart U.S. Senator from Illinois named Barack Hussein Obama had the audacity to challenge her in the primaries. He defeated her on his way to beating Republican nominee John McCain in the race for the White House. And, as he is fond of saying, he “won twice,” defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012.
That said, political polls, warts and all, are good grist for the mill of politicians, pundits and others, including me, who are fascinated by the ebb and flow of politics. This is especially true when it comes to the politics of presidential campaigns. After all, the White House is still the potential grand prize for those men-and women, too, who fancy themselves up to the task of running, even against all odds, for President of the United States.
Sad to say, money remains the “mother’s milk” of  American presidential campaigns. That’s why Republican presidential hopefuls are already jockeying for position. They’re hoping to lock in the big donors for the long and rocky road to party nomination.
If Democrats stick with the Hillary Clinton of their choice, and she decides to run, the Clinton coffers are unlikely to be strapped for cash, thanks in part  to  Super Political Action Committee “Ready for Hillary.” Touted as a “group of young professionals under 40” urging her to run for president again in 2016, RFH has amassed millions of dollars, with millions more to come -- if and when she announces her decision to run.
Retired Army Col. Thomas B. Vaughn can be reached at tbvbwmi@blomand.net.