All eyes on 2016 at Republican governors' gathering
This Nov. 19, 2014, file photo shows Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, joined by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, left, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, right, at the Republican Governors Association annual conference in Boca Raton, Fla. AP
BOCA RATON -- A half-dozen potential Republican presidential contenders spent last week peacocking across the sprawling grounds of a pink-hued luxury resort, schmoozing with donors and sizing up the competition in the party's most fractured field in decades.
They rarely criticized each other in public, but there were subtle jabs.
Within hours of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gracing the cover of a magazine in an illustration of him kissing a baby's head, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal suggested the party needs bold leaders, not showmen.
"We have enough politicians who try to be celebrities and kiss babies and cut ribbons," Jindal said.
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Whether it was an intentional shot at Christie or not, the looming 2016 contest changed the context of every speech, interview and panel discussion at the Republican Governors Association's annual conference. The summit at the oceanside Boca Raton Resort & Club felt like a test run for what is increasingly shaping up to be a brutal showdown for the GOP presidential nomination among more than a dozen potential contenders, including a cluster of governors.
In contrast, Hillary Rodham Clinton has spent recent weeks basking in the glows of grandmotherhood and applause at a few public events - without any major challenger for the Democratic nod, should she choose to pursue it.
While the potential GOP field appears stronger than four years ago, the Republicans are without a front-runner.
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All eyes on 2016 at Republican governors' gathering