If you have been paying attention to politics since the first of the year, you should be recognizing the signs of the coming 2016 Presidential election.  As of this month, we are just two short years away from the 2016 primary season.

Presidential politics are in full-swing at the insider level.  President Obama will finish his tenure in office and we will definitely have a new President.  If you are going to run a billion dollar business in a short time frame, you have to start early.  In 2012, the two Presidential candidates raised and spent more than $1 billion each.

Thus, it is safe to say that the elections are underway.

This has been most clearly evidenced in the persona of Chris Christie.  Christie has been leading all other candidates in early polling for presidential candidates.  He was beginning to capture the label “front-runner” for his party’s primary.   Thus, the scrutiny of his tenure in office as Governor of New Jersey has intensified.  He is now facing at least two investigations.

Dominating the news has been the issue with traffic management and retribution.  Is Chris Christie a bully?  Does this necessarily harm his chances?  Many politicos and academics have varying opinions on the potential harm of this investigation to his image.  Personally, I think this is one he can emerge from and still become a viable candidate.  However, the second investigation begins to create a pattern.

The second investigation has been less discussed but is still very significant.  It seems that some of the federal Hurricane Sandy relief money may have been tapped to allow Christie to show his family and appear on TV even more frequently.

The combined investigations serve to put him under ever more scrutiny.  It is questionable if will hold up well under the spotlight.

Meanwhile, more and more investigative reports are being released on Benghazi and the bombings of the U.S. Embassy that resulted in loss of lives.  As you may recall, Hilary Clinton was Secretary of State at the time of this event.  The lingering questions revolve around whether or not Clinton made bad decisions or knew more information that might have provided better protection.  Of course, Hilary Clinton, though unannounced, is considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination for President.

Alas, our own Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, has been making frequent trips to primary states.  He is giving speeches to Republicans and capitalizing on his popularity from his filibuster as well as conservative positions.

Many others are doing the same.  If you want to start paying attention to presidential politics, watch who is speaking in Iowa and New Hampshire!

Let the races ……. advance, as they have already begun.