Americans appear to have as case of dynasty fatigue - they are leery of another Bush or Clinton in the White House. But voters are also cautious about going with a new but unknown quantity, particularly in an age when the nation’s opportunistic foes seek signs of unsure leadership. Some strategists warn against supporting maverick and insurgent candidates. Others applaud them. A new poll, however, reveals that much of the public is receptive to a “fresh face” for the GOP in particular.

A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 likely voters released Tuesday was fairly relentless in pursuit of answers. “Should Jeb Bush run for president in 2016? Does the fact that his father and his brother have both served as president make you more likely or less likely to vote for Jeb Bush?” the survey asked respondents.

It continued, “There has been a Bush or a Clinton running in every presidential election but one since 1988. How worried are you that the United States is developing an unofficial group of royal families with too much influence over government and politics?”

And two more: “Should Mitt Romney run for president in 2016? Should Republicans look for a fresh face to run for president in 2016 or should Republicans promote a candidate who has already run in the past?”

And here are some results: “Most voters - including Republicans - think the GOP should start fresh during the next presidential election. But a sizable number of voters also express concern about families from both sides of the political aisle holding too much influence,” the pollster says.

The survey finds that 64 percent of likely U.S. voters believe Republicans should look for a fresh face to run for president in 2016. Just 10 percent think the GOP should promote a candidate who has run in the past. Twenty-five percent are not sure.

A BRIEF TEST SCENARIO

“Sean Hannity Calls For Trey Gowdy To Replace Boehner As Speaker, Gowdy Declines.”

- Headline from Breitbart News on Tuesday, reflecting a suggestion from a national broadcaster regarding a certain lawmaker from South Carolina, and another from Ohio.

DID JEB BUSH WAIT TO LONG?

Some historical research suggests that Jeb Bush may be a little late in taking an interest in the White House. A University of Minnesota analysis finds that the 14 years between Mr. Bush’s last electoral victory in 2002 and the presidential election of 2016 is the longest such gap recorded by any victorious presidential candidate in more than 150 years.

“The last president who saw 14 years pass between his last electoral victory and winning the White House was none other than Abraham Lincoln,” says political professor Eric Ostermeier, who led the painstaking study. He notes that Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House from Illinois in 1846 but served only one term and did not win another race until the White House in 1860.

“Since then, only two winning presidential candidates had seen more than eight years pass since their last electoral victory. Richard Nixon in 1968 - 12 years after winning the vice-presidency on Eisenhower’s ticket in 1956 and Ronald Reagan in 1980 - 10 years after being reelected to a second term as Governor of California,’ Mr. Ostermeier says.

“The average gap between electoral victories during this 150-year span has been just a shade over four years,” he adds.

WHERE TO GO IN 2015

News to use: The National Park Service has just launched a new online travel itinerary which highlights the 22 “World Heritage Sites” located in the United States - from sea to shining sea. Where talking the Statue of Liberty to Hawaii volcanoes - the sites are part of a “relatively small number of places on earth that have been formally determined by UNESCO World Heritage Committee to possess outstanding universal value to humanity for their exceptional cultural and natural significance. Learn more here

CYBERSECURITY AND CUBA

The honeymoon between the U.S. and Cuba may not last long. It is not prudent to get too chummy with our neighbor to the south warns one information security expert. “Apparently the United States has not yet learned its lesson of the downside of giving away communication technology to Communist regimes, and will once again pay the price. In a year or two when Cuba gets advanced broadband circuits promised by President Obama, the likelihood that we will see attacks on U.S. public and private networks emanating from Cuba is 100 per cent,” predicts James W. Gabberty, professor of information systems at Pace University in New York City and an alumnus of both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University Polytechnic Institute,

“To Cuba, the internet is a veritable lifeline through which it will be able to concomitantly make accommodation bookings for the myriad future American hotels that will one day dot its coastline while simultaneously siphon intellectual property from U.S. industries, perhaps even our Hollywood movies that hopefully won’t offend Cuba’s communist regime,” Mr. Gabberty continues.

“When the day comes that Cuban-based cyberattacks penetrate U.S. networks, Cuba can simply follow China’s typical repudiation posture, and challenge the U.S. administration to prove it. That has worked for Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, and there is no reason to think it won’t work for Cuba,” he observes.

DON’T TAKE YOUR DRONE TO ANTARCTICA

The public is fixated by drones, though some fret that those novel little flying machines with the nifty cameras are a threat to privacy, airline safety and even national security. Drones are multiplying, however, and concerns about them are now reaching to the far ends of the Earth. Really.

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators is cautioning all potential travelers to Antarctica, who are hoping to fly a drone or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to check with their travel agent or tour operator before packing their device. So reports Travel and Tour World, an industry source. “Opportunities may be limited until more is known about their safe and environmentally responsible use in this last great wilderness - particularly in the wildlife rich coastal regions of Antarctica. Tour operators will either prohibit the use of UAVs altogether or only allow them to be operated under strictly defined conditions,” the publication advises.

Antarctic Treaty Parties and tour coordinators admit that drones are good for scientific teams and their many forays across the ice. “But within the Antarctic Treaty System, the unique global partnership that designates the entire continent as a natural reserve, all human activities, whether for science or tourism, have to go through an annual environmental impact assessment by a relevant competent authority or government agency,” the publication says.

“Antarctica is still pristine with wildlife and landscapes that show little evidence of impact from direct human activity. To visit and operate in an environment like this comes with a responsibility to do so carefully and with minimal disturbance,” says Kim Crosbie, director of the aforementioned tour association

“The use of UAVs is in a state of development and, until more information is available, IAATO Member Operators and competent authorities are taking a precautionary approach when it comes to their operation. The idea is to devise a pragmatic policy framework that will allow safe and environmentally responsible use under controlled circumstances.”

POLL DU JOUR

78 percent of Americans disapprove of the job that Congress is doing.

71 percent say the next president should take “a different approach” than President Obama.

64 percent say the nation is “off on the wrong track.’

50 percent disapprove of the job President Obama is doing.

40 percent would like to see a Republican president in 2016; 38 percent prefer a Democrat.

18 percent say 2014 was one of the “worst years” for the U.S.

Source: An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted Dec. 10-14.

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