2016 Presidential Candidates: 5 Possible Democratic Presidential Candidates

As most Democrats cheer about the presidential victory a select few are mulling their own prospects for the winners job. Running for president is a tough job and the earlier you start the better. Mitt Romney essentially ran for five years, and while it was enough to obtain the Republican nomination it wasn't enough to score him the presidency. The Democrats have a pretty open field for who could run, and in the coming four years there could be a sleeper hit no one even could guess right now. But here are five names we will at least see floated.

1. Hillary Clinton

Had to get the obvious out of the way first. No conversation about potential Democratic candidates would be complete without the current Secretary of State. In addition to being a distinguished and popular member of Obama's cabinet, she was a U.S. Senator for New York. The former First Lady has enough domestic and foreign policy experience to make for a very credible candidate. After all, were it not for Obama's meteoric rise in 2008, we might talking about Hillary's reelection instead. And of course, having Bill Clinton as a surrogate can work wonders.

2. Andrew Cuomo

Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo has been mentioned as a 2016 possibility, perhaps by virtue of being the executive of a large, blue state. He is also the son of a former New York governor.  Of course, Cuomo so far lacks the national presence of other potential candidates, but having exposure in America's largest media market is a good place to start.

3. Cory Booker

Mayor of Newark, New Jersey Booker is on the minds of many Democrats. However, being only 43, he has a lot of time ahead of him. While being mayor of a major city is no small task, the leap to president is rather dramatic. Booker should and probably will use his relative youth to seek statewide office (read governor) before going for the highest office in the land. This is especially true if the field already houses another New Jersey native named Chris Christie who had already successfully managed statewide office.

4. Rahm Emanuel 

Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel is a former congressman and Chief of Staff of Obama's who left that position to run for mayor. No doubt the question would arise as to whether Americans are "ready" for a Jewish president. A lesser-known fact about Emanuel is that he was a volunteer for the Israel Defense Forces during the first Gulf War.

5. Joe Biden

Joe Biden has name recognition, years of senate experience, and as of 2016 he will have eight years of being Barack Obama's Vice President. He ran for the party nomination twice before, only to be beaten by John Kerry and then by Barack Obama. In 2016 he would be 74 years old in November — two years older than John McCain was when he ran in 2008. If Biden won he would be the oldest person inaugurated president. Age notwithstanding he has vast amounts of experience national and foreign. Biden could certainly make a strong attempt at the White House, but the question is whether he would want the job at that age.