It’s hard nowadays to not know that 2012 is an election year. From primaries being the main talk of every news source to debates taking over prime TV time, the 2012 Presidential Race is starting to heat up! On the Democratic side, incumbent President Obama is running for re-election after his immensely successful 2008 Presidential campaign. The Grand Old Party is where this years’ election starts to get interesting. Texas Governor Rick Perry stepped down this week as candidate after an infamous YouTube ad that turned him from a front-runner, to basically a non-contender. Michelle Bachman and Herman Cain have also thrown their towels in after poor results and scandals. The Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries have had their results already counted, and now the remaining candidates are focusing their attention to the Florida primary, which will occur on January 31st, 2012.
Republican Hopefuls:
Already winning the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses, Mitt Romney is on the quest to be the first Mormon and Hispanic President of the United States. The former Governor of Massachusetts is one of the more conservative Republicans still on the ballot. Job creation and the economy are the key issues Romney is pushing for.
Newt Gingrich
Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary with 40.4% of the votes. He finished fourth and fifth in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, respectively which discouraged him. Gingrich has struggled financially, but he recently received a $5 million dollar check that reinvigorated his campaign. He is a favorite of the Tea Party movement because of his conservative views. Gingrich has gotten a lot of flack recently because of his ex-wife telling reporters that Gingrich wanted an “open marriage.” He also admitted to having an affair with a House staffer during the Clinton administration, who he is now married to, after two previous divorces.
Ron Paul
United States Representative from Texas, Ron Paul is the oldest Republican candidate at 73 years old. Paul drew a bulk of his voters in the primaries from independent as well as some young semi-liberal voters. While he has a small, but loyal group of supporters, he is a long shot at actually winning the Republican nomination compared to the other hopefuls.
Rick Santorum
The former US Senator from Pennsylvania made headlines in the Iowa primary after coming out of nowhere and only losing to Mitt Romney by eight votes. According to the NY Times website, his name has little pull outside of Pennsylvania which has proven to be difficult to gain support. Santorum recently got “glitter bombed” by “Occupy” protesters after the South Carolina primary. He has also seen a lot of hate from voters because of his opposition of same-sex marriage.
Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4eTuOJhWS8
http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/primaries/candidates