FOX News First: Jan. 26 By Chris Stirewalt

GOPS TOP 10: INTRODUCING THE FOX NEWS FIRST 2016 POWER INDEX Yes, yes. We know. It is 53 weeks until the start of the first 2016 nominating contest and more than six months until the first Republican presidential debate. But despite a lot of big talk about contenders waiting until later to jump in, two big-name candidate forums and a spate of buzz-generating announcements over the past weekend proved that there would be no delay in the start of this cycle. And so the time has come for the making of lists and the inaugural Fox News First 2016 Power Index.

[Watch Fox: Its go time. Special Report with Bret Baier is live from Des Moines, Iowa at 6 p.m. ET.]

Short list, indeed - The Power Index for Democrats is a lot simpler because there is only one spot. In deference to her enormity within the party, Hillary Clinton, possessed of a pre-fab campaign designed to be scaled out to a $2 billion crusher of Obama-like underdog dreams, has no serious rivals. She may draw a palooka or two to help her tune up for the title match, but Democrats are so far mostly unwilling to do anything that might endanger her undisputed frontrunner status though she and President Obama still have some issues to sort out. And while the empty field is a testament to the partys shallow bench and Clintons power, its also evidence of real concerns about her general election viability. Her ham-fisted performance in the rollout of her campaign book last year sent chills down many Democratic spines. If things change, well start ranking Democrats. But for now, its a party of one.

[You know I sit back there and I listen and I help write the ideas in the [State of the Union address] and I know it all... and I got to pay attention. And [wife Jill Biden] said, Welcome to the club. And I said What do you mean? She said, Welcome to the Good Wives Club. Vice President Joe Biden in an interview on Ellen set to air today.]

Fine print - The following list of 10 candidates could easily stretch to two dozen, so it does not pretend to be comprehensive. Nor does it pretend to be predictive of who the nominee will be, instead it is focused on who is the frontrunner at this writing. Factors including poll performance, fundraising prowess, campaign organization and an individuals political skills all go into this (very subjective) ranking. Todays list gives us a starting place. In the weeks to come, we will update rankings on Mondays, pointing out major moves up, down or out. You likely disagree with some or all of it. Thats good! You should let us know what you think at FOXNEWSFIRST@FOXNEWS.COM We will share some of the best responses here. Now lets get to listing.

1) MITT ROMNEYRomney opens the season as the frontrunner for his place in the polls, his organization, his fundraising network and, most importantly, his name recognition. But the weeks to come pose a challenging question for the man considering a third White House run: There is no question that Republicans like Romney a lot more than they like President Obama, but do they like him more than anyone in the crowded field of those seeking their partys nomination? Romney has made a strong argument for why he should be president now but is still sketching out why he, and not one of the others, should be president two years hence. Romneys recent remarks about global warming suggest he is taking a different approach than his 2012 run when he was accused of pandering to conservative voters. A more direct pitch may earn him points for candor or it may just be Huntsmaning, in which a candidate seeks a partys nomination by publicly disputing the partys positions.

[Livin on the edge - WaPo: Mitts favorite snack is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of chocolate milk.]

Holy man - NYT: Three years ago, Mr. Romneys tortured approach to his religion a strategy of awkward reluctance and studied avoidance that all but walled off a free-flowing discussion of his biography helped doom his campaign. (The subject is still so sensitive that many, including the prominent Republican, would only discuss it on condition that they not be identified.) But now as Mr. Romney mulls a new run for the White House, friends and allies said, his abiding Mormon faith is inextricably tied to his sense of service and patriotism, and a facet of his life that he is determined to embrace more openly in a possible third campaign.

2) JEB BUSHIt is a testament to the clout of the Republican establishment (and the power of famous names) that the first and second spots on the list go to members of the same tribe. But Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush certainly earns his high ranking. Its also partly a reflection of the fact that the cream has yet to rise from among the more conservative members of the party. Bush has already demonstrated his clout by being the one who fired the starting pistol to begin the race with a Facebook post before Christmas. The big issue for Bush, however, remains whether he, 13 years after his last campaign, has the agility and endurance to face down what will be a very bruising process. Bush, who said that a winning Republican presidential candidate might have to lose the primary to win in November, hasnt yet done much outreach to the GOP base, something at which his establishmentarian brother excelled.

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GOPs Top 10: Introducing the Fox News First 2016 Power Index