Future Line up for 2012

Well initially after the election I said that I would wait before I started to discuss candidates for President in 2012, however with the rate at which President Obama is working to redistribute wealth and destroy the economy it is important that we as conservatives start to get some sort of idea about what sort of candidate we want to carry the conservative ( notice I didn't say Republican ) mantle in 2012.



First it is important that we have a clear set of position on the issues of the day. Positions that come from principal not political expediency. First we must have a candidate that will say NO to anymore bailouts, second we much have a candidate that is truly committed to fiscal responsibility, ( This one is gonna be hard, as we have proof of supposed conservative candidates getting elected President and spending like drunken sailors aka George W. Bush) third we much commit to eliminating all earmarks in the federal budget, after all if its worth spending federal money on its worth being debated, fourth we much have a candidate that will commit to a balanced federal budget by the end of their first term, fifth and possibly the most important we must have a candidate the recongnizes that there is evil in this world and is willing to confront it and that being the case will commit to fight and win the war on terror.



Now we have many possible candidates, the press will single out two to four that they will call the front runner and give all of the attention too. However there will be many and it is likely that the candidate that actually has the best platform will be a "second tier " candidate. Lets hope if thats the case that he/she will be able to pull a Huckabee and break out into the top tier.



Here is a list of some of the top tier candidates;

Mitt Romney- The former Governor of Massachusettes, who gained frame for turning around the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. He was also known for giving Senator Ted Kennedy the closest election in his life in 1994. He is also a successful businessman with an estimated net worth of anywhere from 200-500 million dollars. One of his negatives is that he is untrusted by some conservatives as a "johnny come lately" to conservatism. There are also some within the evengelical community that don't trust him because of his mormon faith.

Mike Huckabee- The former Governor of Arkansas, and former baptist preacher was an underdog candidate in 2008, he finished first in Iowa and was the final rival of Senator McCain for the nomination. He has been a propentat of the flat/fair tax, and has spoken out about the need for arts funding and education in public schools. He was a favorate of evangelical christians within the party, he is mistrusted by some because as Governor he supported a tax increase for infrastructure projects which he later repealed after the roads were built. His fundraising ability has been called into question.
Newt Gingrinch- Former Speaker of the House from Georgia, and former college history professor Newt is seen by many as the intellectual leader of the party, the "ideal" man. He is respected by conservative and liberals alike for his intellegence. He is a hero to conservative Republicans for his leadership in the house from '94-98 and his passage of some of the tenants of the contract with America. His negatives are many, he is highly disliked by liberals and some moderates, his personal life and history has been less then stellar, a nasty divorce from his first wife, and an affair with an aide during the Clinton impeachment. He is also seen as to quote a friend of mine "an asshat". However his presence in the race would raise the intellectual discussion and debate within the party greatly and benefit the eventual nominee.
Ron Paul- The Texas congressman who's '08 campaign excited millions of young people, fiscal conservatives, and anti-war activists alike. He raised considerable amounts of money on the internet and while he had limited elector success he more then any other candidate on the Republican side attracted an almost cult like following. Congressman Paul has a record as a reliable fiscal and social conservative, he believes in a strong dollar, raining in the power of the FED to regulate money supply, supports ending the wars in Iraq and afghanistan, and has taken a libertarian stance on several issues, he votes consistently against wasteful pork spending and funding and bills that he believes violates the constitution. He is seen as unelectable by many within the party, he is not a dynamic speaker, and his abrasive style is seen as off putting to many people.
Mark Sanford- The popular Governor of South Carolina, he has been in the news lately for critizing the Presidents stimulus package. Before being elected Governor he served in the House of Representatives where he was known as a fiscal and social conservative. As Governor he has shown great success and even butted heads with the Republican controlled legislature over pork barrell spending. He is seen as a true believer in conservative government principals. Some down falls are the fact that he is not well known in the country, he is southern and some in the party want to avoid being marginalized and seen as a regional party.
Sarah Palin-The governor of Alaska and the 2008 Vice Presidential candidate, she was critical in energizing the Republican base to come out for Senator John McCain, she gave a great acceptance speech which for a few weeks after the convention gave the McCain /Palin ticket its only extended lead in the polls. She is seen as a young viberant leader, a solid social and fiscal conservative with a down home folksey charm. During the '08 campaign she took an absolute drumming by the media, she was seen as inexperienced and in some cases lacking intellect to be Vice President. Some even claimed that she hurt the McCain campaign. Others point to the massive crowds she drew at rallys and her stella fundraising ability as well as her ability to connect with certain voters as a reason to watch her.
Tim Pawlenty- Governor of Minnesota he has been successful as a conservative in a Democratic state, he is seen as pivotal in helping the GOP to broaden their appeal in the great lakes states and the midwest. The governor is seen also as not overly partisan working well with Democrats and Republicans alike. Some problems he may face is the face that he is not well known out side of political circles, his fundraising efforts may be less then stellar. However his voice is a valuable addition to the party.

There will likely be other candidates that seek the nomination, one may even win it. However the list above are the most likely candidates. The first tier candidates as it where. Here is a list of possible or second tier candidates.

Jon Huntsman- Governor of Utah, he was reelected with one of the largest margins in the 2008 election cycle over 77% of the vote. Huntsman is seen as a solid conservative and an effective Governor. However he recently came out for civil unions for gay and lesbian Americans, he also recently stated that the GOP must promote more environmentally friendly policies. This may hurt him in places like New Hampshire and South Carolina where the GOP voters are more conservative.
Mike Pence-Congressman from Indiana, he is a member of the house leadership as chairman of the house Republican conference. He is a staunch conservative, a favorate of fiscal and social conservatives. He is seen by many as a possible future Speaker of the House should he decided to stay in that body. His draw backs are simply that he not well outside of washington or Indiana.