Well it’s about that time again; various politicians across the country are beginning to announce the possibility of their running for the 2012 presidential election. This election is expected to be a very heated one, as were the last few federal elections, and the list of possible candidates is finally beginning to shape up. Let’s take a quick look at who some of these candidates are.
Barack Obama (D)
First and foremost, Chicago’s own Barack Obama will run for a second term in office. One reason this election is predicted to be so heated is because it’s predicted to be close; Obama’s approval ratings continue to linger around the 50% mark. They’ve been slipping recently, however, now hanging around the 46% mark. By 2012, we will learn whether the American people want another four years of this liberal Democrat; after experiencing some controversial “accomplishments” including healthcare reform and liberal economic policies, they may be ready to move on.
Ron Paul (R)
Ron Paul is a Republican Congressman representing Texas’ 14th district in the House of Representatives. Though Ron Paul is not known for having spearheaded any major legislation, he maintains one of the most consistent voting records out there; he’s not a flip-flopper. He’s known to be very knowledgeable in economics, a quality many voters will be looking for in this election. He can’t claim to take part in any tax-hiking legislation and has never voted himself a pay increase, which is rare among politicians. He also works hard to balance budgets, something this country needs badly. Overall, Ron Paul’s voting record is flawless and consistent, and he bears many qualities voters will be looking for.
Mitt Romney (R)
Let’s just get this out of the way first: Mitt Romney’s Achilles’ heel is his own healthcare reform known as “RomneyCare,” and that will undoubtedly hurt his chances among Republican voters in this election. However, Republicans are still quite fond of him; though he championed a state healthcare takeover similar to that of ObamaCare, he maintains a strong list of accomplishments as Governor of Massachusetts. For starters, he turned a $3 billion deficit into a $300 million surplus without raising taxes or borrowing. That’s a quality the Republicans want in the white house ASAP. He’s also a successful businessman who can rightfully claim to know the economy. If he can do to the nation’s economy what he did with his state’s, Republicans may find him very appealing.
Newt Gingrich (R)
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich recently publicized his consideration of running for the 2012 election. A former professor of history, Gingrich is certainly a smart man that Republicans champion, and as a true conservative, was widely considered to be the head of the GOP in the 1990’s. He lead the “Republican Revolution” of the 1990‘s when the GOP took both houses of Congress and was known as a powerful and influential Speaker. He also successfully worked to balance the federal budget and passed monumental welfare reform. His popularity later fell after he was fined $300,000 for ethics violations, but it has recently begun to reemerge among Republicans.
You can bet this election will be between Barack Obama and his unknown Republican contender, who may very well be on this short list of some of the most popular GOP candidates. It will be a vehemently contested debate, or at least we can infer that based on Obama’s split approval, but in the end only time will tell whether the United States votes for another four years of President Barack Obama.