Charles Koch
Five Republican presidential candidates are in the running to win over the Koch brothers: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Florida governor and dynastic scion Jeb Bush, and Sens. Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul. Arch-conservative billionaire Charles Koch confirmed that short(ish) list in an interview with
USA Today, explaining
what a candidate would have to do to win the Koch pageant and his share of the $300 million the brothers plan to have their political network spend on electoral politics in the 2016 cycle:
"What we've told them all is that right now, we're not supporting anyone," Koch said. "We're telling them that if they want our support, one way to get it is articulating a good message to help Americans get a better understanding and a better appreciation of how certain policies … will benefit them and will benefit all America." [...]
"Only if somebody really stands out from the standpoint of their message and what they would actually do to benefit America and has a chance a decent chance of being elected, only then would we select one over the others," Koch said.
He also stressed the need for a "positive message." Like, um, "Billionaires are awesome! It would really benefit America if billionaires got giant tax breaks. Lifting safety and environmental regulations on the oil industry sure would be great for the American economy and workers." Not a message any of these Republican candidates should have a problem with, though sour-faced Rand Paul might have trouble making it sound anything but sneering and petulant.