Republicans in 2012

The 2012 presidential election cycle is starting to pick up its pace but in no way does it compare to this time in 2007. As usual, when an incumbent is seeking reelection, the election seems to be a little calmer, unless you are saying Jimmy Carter or Bush 41. This may be a sign of good fortune for President Obama. The question still remains, who will run for the nomination of the Republican Party? The 2011 CPAC showcased some of the top contenders; in my opinion some very lack luster contenders to face up against the Obama/Biden ticket. The best of the bunch that fits with my brand of moderate conservatism was Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana. Not as right as say a Goldwater Republican and not as left as let’s say a Rockefeller Republican. Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic aptly states that Mitch Daniels is an Eisenhower Republican, meaning he stays away from the spotlight is wary of the military, economically conservative and more liberal on social issues. But as it seems now, Daniels is not seeking election.
Mitt Romney has also been making the rounds, but he has yet to formally announce his candidacy. Romney has however been traveling to early primary states, this past week he traveled to Bartlett and Manchester where he held rallies, throwing some red meat to the conservative base. He discussed his business credentials, according to the New York Times, Romney’s main theme was his reiteration of these credentials “I spent my career in the private sector…I know how jobs are created and how jobs are lost”. Are these possible campaign themes? Only time will tell. The problem Romney still faces is from religious social conservatives in regards to his Mormon faith. As we saw in 2008 many in the religious right refused to support him because of his faith, their support went to Mike Huckabee a former Pastor from Arkansas. Romney, seems however to be the most concrete candidate thus far.
There are not many others to pick from, Michelle Bachman seems to be making the moves towards setting up a presidential bid. Though it would be nice having a woman presidential nominee from the Republican Party, I find it very unlikely that Bachmann is main-stream enough to rally the Republican base. She will be blasted by the media, just as Sarah Palin and Christine O’Donnell were. Even if it is not so, Bachmann seems to give off a sense of incompetence,the media will have a field day with that. Donald Trump has been has also been floated around in the past weeks. I cannot truly consider Donald Trump as a presidential candidate for the presidency, did anybody see his CPAC speech; it was very unbecoming to say the least. The Republican Party still seems to be reeling in the current tea party split. No real leader has yet to come out to unite the party. If it is not done with much speed, there is little hope for a strong Republican contender in 2012.