2012 Presidential Candidates

Former President Ronald Reagan coined a phrase,
appropriate for those who seek genuine news,
"Trust, but verify."

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY 2012

GOP PRIMARY CANDIDATES 2012

Newt Gingrich
(Former Congressman and Speaker of the House, Author)
Status: Declared
Strengths:
Was Speaker in House of Congress (over 25 years ago), knows a lot about history,
experienced on the national stage, a clever quipster.
Weakness:
No experience in elected-exective office (e.g. governor). Multiple divorces.
Sided with Pelosi and Gore on 'Global Warming' fraud, Endorsed elements of
Hillarycare, attacked fellow Republicans who had been unified versus ObamaCare
- including Paul Ryan, chronic evidence of serious character-defects, including
ethics charges as Speaker - especially adultery while criticizing Pres. Clinton
for the same offense, persistent high negatives across the political spectrum,
a history of differing positions on issues, appears arrogant and opportunistic.
His ego tends to cause him to say foolish things, vomiting-quips can seem clownish.

Ron Paul
(Libertarian Congressman, Primary Candidate 2004 and 2008)
Status: Declared
Strengths:
Conservative on some issues, fairly high name ID, solid fundraising and organizational
base, medical doctor who can address Obamacare as an expert, third run for nomonation.
Weakness:
A Libertarian in the GOP for expediency versus a true Republican, isolationist views of
foreign policy, somewhat Utopian views of some matters, has attacked fellow Republicans
frequently, has run in the GOP Primary and lost badly several times. Many of his signature
issues are shared with other candidates - so the urgency of his largely-symbolic candidacy
has diminshed. 76 years old, can only campaign on a light schedule 4 of 7 days/week.
His political operatives and supporters have a poor reputation among Republicans for rude
conduct and less-than-transparent efforts to seize control of local GOP organizations.
No experience in elected-executive office (e.g. governor).

Mitt Romney
(Former Massachusetts Gov., Primary Candidate in 2008,)
Status: Declared
Strengths:
Former MA Governor, millionaire, success in business, former Pres. candidate.
Weakness:
Romney-care is driving doctors out of Mass. while increasing pressures on the
health-care system, the same as Obama-care will nationally. He could not beat
a very weak McCain in 2008 and polls poorly among GOP Primary voters in 2012
considering the undeveloped and weak field. Mormon. High-negatives across the
political spectrum. Evidence of employment of illegal aliens in 2006 and 2007
have him struggling to explain. Perceived as an elitist, eastern-liberal/RINO,
unreliable conservative. A large percentage of his money comes from a few wealthy
Mormon family members with some help from former liberal-moderate associates of
President George H.W. Bush (41, the first President Bush).

Rick Santorum
(Conservative Former US Senator - Pennsylvania)
Status: Declared
Strengths:
Former US Senator, strong spokesman for any conservative issues. Fundraising
and organizational resources from religious operatives Richard Land, Ralph Reed,
and Richard Vigurie. Devout Roman Catholic.
Weakness:
Lost US Senate Seat by 20% as the incumbent in must-win PA for the White House,
no elected-executive office (e.g. governor) experience.

LIBERTARIAN PRIMARY CANDIDATES 2012

Gary Johnson
(Former New Mexico Governor)
Status: GOP Candidacy Suspended - Now Seeking Libertarian Nomination
Strengths:
Former Governor, leans-Libertarian (a strength from the perspective of some).
Weakness:
Isolationist, remains unknown outside of New Mexico and Libertarian circles.
Word is that there is bad-blood between Johnson and Paul which may limit his
access to those resources and voters in the General Election.

NOT RUNNING IN 2012

Michelle Bachmann
(A generally-conservative Congresswoman, a Tea Party Leader)
Status: Suspended campaign
Strengths:
Activist, high name ID, favorite of many in the Tea Party movement, an aggressive self-promoter.
Weaknesses:
Sometimes careless about facts and a tendency to press an attack too far.
A Congresswoman with no major elected executive office experience,
no significant legislative accomplishments, high staff turnover with little apparent loyalty in her Congressional
staff (five Chiefs of Staff in five years).

Haley Barbour
(Generally-conservative Mississippi Gov.)
Status: Not Running
No plans for future political office.

John Bolton
(Conservative Former Ambassador to the UN, Author)
Status: Not Running
Strengths:
Assertive conservative foreign policy 'wonk'.
Weaknesses:
Not well-know, no major campaign or elected executive office experience.

Herman Cain
(Former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, Conservative Talk Show Host)
Status: Suspended campaign
Strengths:
Personal story in business, beating cancer , and overcoming prejudice.
No campaign or elected executive experience, recent interviews suggest a lack of foreign policy
awareness and experience.
Serious questions have been raised about his resume where he has claimed to rescue a
pizza company "on the brink of bankruptcy" whereas the record shows the company was
not near bankruptcy when he took over.
Questions have also been raised about the source of his campaign centerpiece 9-9-9 as
possibly borrowed from the learning game SIMcity, and the wisdom of his simplistic plan
which would add a 9% national sales tax and lead to a 30% European-style sales tax.
Questions also have been raised about the church where he is an associate minister
because it claims deceased radical Muslim Malcolm X as a major influence.

Chris Christie
(Conservative New Jersey Gov.)
Status: Not Running

Tom Coburn
Conservative US Senator from OK (has received letters from across America to run)
Status: Unknown
Strengths:
Consistently conservative as a US Senator, medical doctor who can address the many
flaws of Obamacare as an expert.
Weakness:
Not well-known outside of activist circles, no major elected executive experience. He has made
no moves to suggest that he will be a candidate.

Mitch Daniels
(Conservative Indiana Gov.)
Status: Not Running

Jim DeMint
(Conservative US Senator, Tea Party Leader)
Status: Not Running

Jon Huntsman
(Former Utah Governor, Ambassador to China for Obama)
Status: Campaign suspended
Strengths:
Former Governor and Ambassador, billionaire inheritance.
Weakness:
Unknown outside of Utah and some political circles, semi-secular Mormon.
The trappings and social-isolation of huge inherited wealth makes his connection
with working class Americans difficult. Like Gingrich he is on the wrong side of the
Global Warming fraud, flip-flopped on several major issues, seems to not have contact
with and/or fails to understand the diversity and motivation of the grassroots "Tea Party"
movement.

Mike Huckabee
(Conservative Former Arkansas Gov., Televangelist, 2008 Candidate, Author, Talk Show Host)
Status: Not Running

Sarah Palin
(Conservative Former Alaska Gov., 2008 VP Nominee,Tea Party Leader, FoxNews Commentator)
Status: Not Running
Strengths:
Former GOP VP Nominee, high name ID, camera-friendly, charismatic personality. Has a story to tell
of some successes in her partial-term as Governor of Alaska, as well as a compelling personal story.
She has been consistently conservative on many key issues, including energy, patriotism, reducing the
size and scope of government, ending abortion-on-demand, etc. Is popular in the Tea Party.
Weakness:
High negatives due to persistant attacks from Democrats, some fellow Republicans, the liberal media,
and Hollywood. Is prone to gaffes, which are amplified in inverse-proportion to equal gaffes from
then-candidate Obama, much as were the gaffes of Pres. Bush and Rick Perry. Persistant rumors of
unresolved ethics challenges in Alaska, distractions due to her daughter's poor life choices, and
an incomplete term as Governor - peppered with conflict from political adversaries and partisan
troublemakers. The June 2012 bus tour and movie do not appear to have reduced her negatives or to
have increased her positives among likely GOP Primary voters, therefore there is little purpose to
a candidacy. She has a lucrative contract with FoxNews, she and her husband have profitable
investments, and she may be more-effective for the conservative cause as a non-candidate who raises
funds and grassroots support.

Tim Pawlenty
(Conservative Minnesota Gov.)
Status: Ended campaign after Ames Straw Poll, endorsed Romney
Strengths:
Former Governor, generally conservative as Gov., moderate level of name ID
Weakness:
Perceived as having done little to prevent Dems from 'stealing' MN US Senate seat
for Al Franken, rumors of weakness on some conservative issues as Gov. (he faced a
tough liberal Democrat State Legislature), entered GOP Primary looking indecisive,
not known as a charismatic or emphatic speaker, some see him as an 'establishment'
candidate who may be soft on conservative issues if elected. Poor fund-raising in June
and July of 2011. Appears to be focused on an electronic and public-relations campaign
and suffers in the shadow of the increasingly-probable candidacy of a more-solid and more-
conservative Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Rick Perry
(Conservative Texas Gov.)
Status: Campaign Suspended
Strengths:
Highly respected as a reliable and steady conservative
Georgia4Perry 2012 Yahoo Discussion Group
Georgia4Perry 2012
Rick Perry @ SRLC
Weakness:
Suffered from side-affects of major back treatments prior to candidacy.
Former Democrat who changed positions on some issues (as did Ronald Reagan),
struggled in first three MSM-controlled debates - Rmney/Bain-controlled media
piled-on ridicule and spiked positive stories - never allowing him to recover.
Under attack from Democrats/MSM, Ron Paul-Libertarians, and liberal-moderates
in Texas and elsewhere via Romney surrogates.

Buddy Roemer
(Former Democrat and Republican Lousiana Gov.)
Status: Not Running
Strengths:
Former Governor.
Weakness:
Poor name ID, rumors of corruption and liberal views as governor, former
Democrat (so was Ronald Reagan).

Paul Ryan
(Congressman from Wisconsin)
Status: Highly-unlikely to run.
Strengths:
Strong voice and action on conservative issues in Congress.
Weakness:
A Congressman, no major elected executive experience. Since the late 1800's no member
of the House has been elected President.

Donald Trump
(TV celebrity, billionnaire)
Status: Not Running

Allen West
(Conservative US Congressman - Florida District 22)
Status: Unknown
Strengths:
Fearless Congressman on conservative issues.
Weakness:
No major elected executive experience, poor name ID. Since the late 1800's no member
of the House has been elected President.

POTENTIAL GOP VP CANDIDATES - 2012

McCain had trouble with his staff and Sarah Palin because they were jealous of her
popularity and uncomfortable because she was more-conservative and forthrght
than the nominee.

Since Obama chose to run with the chronically-absurd Biden there is little probability
that an independently-opinioned VP could be cited as a problem for the nominee.

Marco Rubio - would be wonderful but is more-obviously less-Constitutionally qualified than Obama.
Herman Cain is frequently mentioned as a popular choice for VP.

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