2016 Hopefuls Audition Before Influential Republicans

The Washington Post reports on the “credentials caucus” — “the period before the 2016 campaign when the Republican Party’s presidential aspirants quietly study up on issues and cultivate ties to pundits and luminaries from previous administrations.”

“Over meals, on the phone and in one-on-one chats, the rivals are building relationships with people they hope to recruit to help them navigate a range of issues. Policy leaders are generally hesitant to align with a candidate this far out, but the meetings send signals to would-be donors and operatives about the seriousness and direction of a potential candidacy.”

“Most of the 2016 hopefuls are networking within an entrenched community of conservative professionals who rose to prominence in the Nixon, Reagan or Bush eras.”