Evaluating the 2012 Republican Presidential Contenders

The 2012 Iowa caucuses are more than two years away, the General election is more than three years away, but there's still a buzz in the air about who the Republican party may nominate to challenge President Barack Obama. Many of the names are familiar to most, primarily because they were involved in some way with last year's election. In this article I will evaluate Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Eric Cantor, Bobby Jindal , Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlwnty.

Sarah Palin: 45, former Governor of Alaska, 2008 Republican VP nominee. I might as well start off with the elephant in the room (no pun intended). As her party's former Vice Presidential nominee, she's seemingly in a good position to make a grab at the Presidency herself. However failed VP's don't always have an easy time trying for the nomination themselves (John Edwards, anyone?). And Palin's meteoric rise to the national stage has not been without controversy. While Palin certainly appeals to the conservative base, the family drama that has played out on the covers of supermarket tabloids and her own actions over the last year may make it tough for her if she decides to run. Her decision to step down from the Governorship has left heads scratching for months, the statements made by Levi Johnston, her daughters' ex-boyfriend and father of Sarah's grandson, about life in the Palin household and Levi's decision by to pose nude in Playgirl, may all come back to haunt her on the campaign trail. Tom Schaller of Fivethirtyeight.com, doesn't think Palin is going to run. I'm not sure either way, but she'll be an interesting one to watch.

Mike Huckabee: 54, former Governor of Arkansas, 2008 GOP Presidential contender. Huckabee's name has been mentioned almost as much as Palin's when talking about potential 2012 contenders. Like Palin, he can play to the party's base, and he comes without her baggage. He's got the name recognition, he's got the stature in the polls, but there's something else he's got that may actually keep him out of the race, Huckabee, his popular political commentary program on Fox News. If the show is still going good in 2012, no one could blame him for wanting to stay with it instead of giving it up for something as unsure as a Presidential campaign. Right now, I'd rate him at a 50-50 chance of running.

Eric Cantor: 46, Virginia congressman, House Minority Whip. Cantor is seen by many as a rising star in the Republican party. He's been a vocal critic of President Obama, always good when you're trying to appeal to the GOP base. He's got many things going for him, he's got the youth that Obama used to build up the image of a new face coming to Washington, he is a new face to many people, which will help him with those who are just plain tired of the many 2008 crop who are possibly 2012 contenders, and as a sitting member of congress and one of the most powerful members of the minority caucus, he can play up his votes against the Obama plans that many on the right hate so much, something Governors and former Governors can't hold claim to, however, his opponents could use that same record to paint him as a Washington insider. All things considered though, if he decides to run, Cantor could be a formidable candidate in 2012.

Bobby Jindal: 38, Governor of Louisiana. Another candidate who would benefit from his youth and Washington outsider status, Jindal would be another candidate to watch if he entered the race. Like Cantor, he's a fresh face and comes with little, if any baggage and controversy. He's been called the Republican Obama because of his youth and his ethnicity. The one thing that may hold him back is his lackluster response to President Obama's address to a joint session of congress which earned him criticism from the left and the right, but it's hardly fatal to his Presidential hopes. Jindal has stated that he intends to run for reelection in 2011, which lessens the chances of him running for President in 2012, but even if he passes on that opportunity, he's young enough and popular enough that he can't be counted out for a future run.

Mitt Romney: 62, former Governor of Massachusetts, 2008 Presidential candidate. Romney is among the most likely of the possible contenders to make a run in 2012. He was a strong candidate in 2008 and has been a vocal critic of the Obama administration and has been in demand on the campaign trail, campaigning for Republican candidates across the country. If Romney chooses to run, he'll be a strong contender, but his perceived flip-flops on social issues like abortion, could hurt him with the Republican base. All things considered though, he'll be one to watch come 2012.

Tim Pawlenty: 48, Governor of Minnesota. Pawlenty has risen to the national stage first as a potential running mate for John McCain, then as the Governor of the state with what was one of the most highly contested Senate races in history. Pawlenty announced in 2009 that he would not seek a third term as Governor, leading many to conclude that he wants to focus on a Presidential run. Pawlenty could be another fierce candidate for the nomination. His main problem is that even with the attention he got in the summer of 2008, he has low visibility among national Republicans, it's not good, but he's got the time to improve those numbers. If he enters the race, keep an eye on him.

One thing is for sure, the field of potential GOP contenders is large, and there is no one clear leader. Time, and the Republican voters, will tell just who will take on President Obama, so keep watching.

Sources:
Palin Will Not Run for President in '12

Jindal says no

Romney hammers Obama on Iran negotiations

Romney hits the road for Christie, Toomey

Palin At The Top - And Bottom - for GOP Voters in 2012