Newt Gingrich has “never been this serious,” as he told an Iowa crowd, about assessing his chances for a potential Presidential bid in 2012. Assuming he does, a Des Moines Register poll gives him a third place favorability showing in a match-up against current GOP heavyweights Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin. Pundits aren’t discounting that Gingrich could pull an upset, but what’s giving some of them pause is the suspicion that he is trying to build up hype for a new book. Nevertheless, Newt’s announcement cements his place on the blogosphere’s roster of potential candidates making passive swipes at a 2012 bid. Lou Dobbs welcomes him to the club. Here’s what critics have to say:
Rick Perry, still relatively unknown nationally for someone who governed Texas for the last 10 years, and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, delivered presidential candidate-esque speeches on the first two days of the conference. With delegates from 14 southern states on hand, their appearances could help lay a foundation for a national bid — if they do indeed decide to run.
Gingrich: “My prediction is you’re going to get a Republican Congress in 2010 in the election. They’re going to come in and they’re going to refuse to fund any of these new offices. And they’re just kind — they won’t pass the appropriations.
Then in 2012, you get a new president. And I think probably in February of 2013, they repeal the entire bill.”
The Washington Post reports that a small army of potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates is stirring. Political junkies know that presidential electioneering will start in earnest immediately after the 2010 mid-term elections next year and potential candidates need to start planning now. The perpetual U.S. presidential election is indeed alive and well.
Signs: Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has not stepped away from the political limelight and recently delivered a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will not seek reelection next year. Note that Pawlenty was second in line to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for becoming Sen. John McCain’s 2008 vice presidential pick. Mississippi’s Haley Barbour, has scheduled appearances in New Hampshire and Iowa for later this month. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is all over the airwaves, most recently calling potential Supreme Court judge Sotomayor a racist (and then backing down). A recent CNN poll showed Palin, Romney and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be leaders of the Republican presidential pack at this time. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush is also in the mix. Other possible 2012 presidential candidates: South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (until recent admissions of adultery), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist This all means, among other things, that new candidate categories need to be created on electapres.com for all the Republican contenders. It appears we will have another wide-open Republican donnybrook for 2012, with none positioned to be the ‘anointed one’ – at least not yet.
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