The 2012 presidential election is more than eighteen months away and yet every day it seems there’s another story about politicians either considering running or announcing that they’re officially a candidate for the presidency. Whether you consider yourself a Republican or not, understanding the perspective candidates and their agendas will better prepare you for the upcoming debates, from televised formal debates to conversations with fellow Americans in neighborhood coffee shop. Speculations abound as political analysts’ scrutinize the validity of a candidate’s popularity, reputation, and overall electability come November. August 27th, 2012 the Republican Party will announce their candidate to run against the incumbent, Barak Obama in 2012. Obama’s popularity ratings have averaged around 51% throughout his presidency thus far, slightly behind George W. Bush’s 56% overall rating. However, President Obama is only 3% points ahead of an unnamed Republican candidate (gallup.com), which leads me to believe that while Obama is the incumbent president, and the incumbents generally tend to be reelected, Obama and the Democratic Party have some work cut out for them if they want to see their candidate back in the white house for another term. The Democrats have a president currently in office, but the Republicans have many supporters both in and out of the Republican Party.
“The Republican Party boasts 55 million registered voters, the 2nd largest in the century and is known as an advocate of American Conservatism, espousing the role of religion, nationalism, and economics at its core” (republican-candidates.org). The Republican Party convention will be held August 27, 2012, where the Republican Candidate for President and Vice President will be announced. Presently there are about 6 declared candidates vying for the nomination for the 2012 election race and a number undecided. Who that person will be is a hotly debated subject for months to come.
Even the process of choosing a candidate can be tricky for many Americans to understand, “There are significant differences in the way national convention delegates are chosen from state to state…Some states award delegates to candidates on a "winner-take-all" basis… Other states award delegates in proportion to each candidate's share of the primary vote. Another important distinction is whether delegates are "pledged" or "unpledged" to vote for the same candidate the voters in his or her state or district supported in the primary…” (thisnation.org). Just a few days ago, Washington State cancelled their primaries as a way of saving the 10 million dollars it would have cost taxpayers, and the Republican party endorsed the one-time suspension due to the current budget crisis. The caucuses are tentatively set for Saturday, February 11, 2012. Only declared Republicans are allowed to participate fully in the Republican caucuses.
The next 18 months will help determine the course for America
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