Are Republicans Afraid to Tackle 2012 Presidential Election?

The 2012 Presidential election is inching closer. Most of us are aware that Democrat Barack Obama will seek a second term in the White House. But who will be the Republican Presidential candidate for 2012? The fact that there isn't a clear cut answer yet is quite confusing for Americans.

Republican Mitt Romney finally announced his candidacy in New Hampshire on June 2, 2011. Sarah Palin, who has yet to make a decision on her candidacy, was cruising nearby on the same day with her "bus tour." Although Palin denied any effort to upstage Romney, it appears she is still in the potential pool of candidates for the Republican nod. Republicans have to be wondering though where the big name potential candidates have disappeared to?

With the struggling economy, it would appear that any Republican who opposed Obama would have a greater than ordinary opportunity to become the next President of the United States. Yet, there hasn't been a strong line of incredible candidates to step up to the challenge. Many Republicans with a high level of experience have cited different reasons for not trying to tackle a Presidential run. Does that mean the strongest Republicans are waiting for a better opportunity? Maybe the Presidential job just isn't a good enough opportunity right now. The job means tackling huge issues and leaping enormous hurdles. The pressure cooker of the position is perhaps becoming a detriment to the careers of career politicians. Especially in this horrid economy. We've all witnessed the shift of popularity from the day Obama took office leading up to the election of 2012. Is the office of President now being deemed political suicide?

Is the economy in such a slump that many Republican potentials are afraid to run for President in 2012?
According to one ABC News Report, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels believed he could have beaten Obama in the 2012 Presidential election. There's only one hitch. Daniels decided not to run because of "family" reasons. Entrepreneur Donald Trump toyed with the idea of running before finally tossing it aside. Trump also said he had a "strong conviction" he could have ousted Obama from the White House in the 2012 election. Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made a similar announcement that wasn't going to make a bid. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also announced he wouldn't run-citing that he already has a "great job."

Isn't the role of President of the United States a great job? Apparently not in 2012. It makes me think back to when I was in elementary school. It's easy to remember all the kids who, when asked, wanted to one day be the President of the United States. Is it not shameful that we have rich, incredibly successful career politicians who do not see the Presidential office as a rare opportunity and the greatest job in America? Maybe, if we look at the situation in full truth, it just isn't a great and wanted job these days.

Sarah Palin was an expected 2012 possibility but she has yet to toss her name into the ring. So who does that leave the Republican party with as other potential candidates? Romney, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty could be the front runners for the Republican nod according to this ABC News Report. But are any of these candidates strong enough to defeat Barack Obama? Is it possible that many Republicans are afraid to tackle to ongoing economic struggles that the United States faces heading into the next four years? Would anyone want to take the fall for the recession like atmosphere we have faced for nearly half a decade? Perhaps there is some school of thought that Obama can take the fall for four more years of fiscal agony. It seems inevitable that the United States economy is looking at at least two to three more years of difficult times. Regardless of the changes a potential new President could make, it seems more than likely that we won't see any major improvement for some time. Maybe that is leading Republicans who might normally opt for a run to stay away from the 2012 election.

What's waiting in the White House isn't going to be an easy task for any incoming President. Obama, if he is elected for a second term, will be facing the same economic crisis he was facing when he first stepped into the position. Perhaps that is just too much of an undertaking for anyone to consider. Let's face it. I hate to compare this to a sports analogy. But I feel this works on this occasion. Basketball coaches like Pat Riley and Phil Jackson proved way more efficient when they stepped on the floor with winners. They chose good job situations to enter because it would only help their unique allure and offer them chances to win championships. If the United States were a basketball team financially, they would be in the bottom of their division. Nobody probably wants to assume the role of taking over a struggling team going nowhere. It takes incredible fortitude for a person to want to become the President in a situation like America is currently facing. Nobody wants to be remembered as the President during a major recession. The irony is that any Republican who is emotionally strong enough to endure the next four years under the microscope could emerge as a national hero and one of the all time great Presidents if the economy is turned around during their tenure-even if by coincidence.